Time Of Your Life
by Books Over Bros
Summary: It includes all main characters: Lucas, Nathan, Peyton, Haley, and Brooke. With appearences by Dan, Karen, Jake, Rachel, & much more past characters! There are many couple pairings including some of you favorite couples and also some that you never thoug
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue – The Meaning of Time**

_It's true what they say: time plays tricks on you. Memory is an unreliable narrator. History gets rewritten in small ways everyday. I can't say this is exactly how it happened, but I can say this is how it felt…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One – Oh, How The Years Change Our Lives**

_I never promised you a ray of light_

_I never promised there'd be sunshine every day_

_I'll give you everything I have_

_The good, the bad_

_Why do you put me on this pedestal?_

_I'm so up high, and I can't see the ground below_

_So help me down, you've got it wrong_

_I don't belong, there…_

Brooke Davis sang along to the song as she placed the last few items into the final cardboard packing box. Walking across the room she placed the box next to the others, in front of the door. The boys would be here soon to pick up the last of her stuff and move it into her new home.

_One thing is clear,_

_I wear a halo, I wear a halo_

_Can you look at me the same, from here?_

_You wouldn't think so, you wouldn't say so_

_If you were only here_

_I just wanna love you_

_Oh, I just wanna love you…_

As she sang along to her best friend's song she couldn't help but feel sad. It had been almost two years since Haley had called off their friendship and Brooke truly did miss her. She never could quite understand why Haley had been so mad when she and Nathan had started dating. Nathan had called his marriage to Haley off long before Brooke had stepped into the picture. And now that her engagement to Nathan Scott had become known to Tree Hills finest, she was just waiting for Haley to call and congratulate her. The sad reality was that it was call that would probably never come.

_I always said that I would maybe stay_

_I'm only human, and that's my saving grace,_

_I'll fall as hard as I try_

_So don't be blind,_

_See me as I really am_

_I just want you to ask me to stay_

_I've fallen down from my pedestal_

_I don't belong, there…_

Brooke shut off the stereo. This was supposed to be a happy day. She was finally moving in with Nathan. So she didn't want to be thinking about past friendships. Lucas Scott walked freely into the apartment with out knocking.

"Hey Brooke! Guess who?" Lucas laughed.

Brooke smiled. "Oh, the suspense is killing me." She asked sarcastically.

"You really don't know, huh? Not the brightest crayon in the box, are you?"

"Ha-Ha. Real funny." Brooke rolled her eyes and shot her hair tie at him. "Suck-a-butt, Scott."

"Suck-a-dick, Davis." Lucas shot back with a smile.

"Been there. Done that." She patted Lucas on the shoulder. "Your brother was better." Brooke couldn't help but laugh at her own perversion.

"Yo Nate!" Lucas called towards the entrance of the apartment. "You're girlfriend got into your mom's happy pills again!"

"Fiancé!" Nathan corrected him from out side. While his brother and girlfriend had been arguing he had been packing her boxes into the back of his pick-up truck. Nathan appeared through the door way and smiled. "Hey gorgeous."

"Dude. We're related." Lucas shot at him with a look of pure disgust.

Nathan just laughed. Brooke pushed past Lucas and ran up to Nathan, practically jumping into his arms. "Hey boyfriend." Brooke planted a kiss on Nathan's cheek then turned her attention back to Lucas. "I seriously wonder why I ever dated you."

"To get in my pants." Lucas laughed.

"I think I'm going to be sick!" Brooke laughed pretending to gag.

"I know the feeling." Nathan agreed.

"How recently have you been making out with your brother anyways, Nate?"

"Yeah, Nate." Lucas said randomly trying to be apart of the conversation. Brooke and Nathan shot Lucas a look of worried disgust. "Never mind."

"Right…" Brooke said and turned towards Nathan. "Kiss."

Nathan leaned over and gave her what she had asked for. Gesturing towards the door he smiled. "You ready to go?"

Brooke nodded.

"There's just one thing I don't get." Lucas said to neither Brooke nor Nathan in particular.

"And what would that be?" Nathan said facing his older brother.

"Aren't you supposed to move in together after the wedding?" He questioned with a smile.

"The weddings getting close. Just makes more sense to get everything settled now, instead of scrambling things together after the honeymoon." Nathan answered sincerely.

"Aren't you supposed to know who your plus one to the wedding is going to be by now? Considering the wedding is only a month and a half away." Brooke asked with a grin. "I hear Tim is still flying solo. You could always invite him."

"I could… but then making out with the bride would be a total waste." Brooke shot Lucas a worried look. "Besides, Tim's a lousy date."

"Like that would ever happen" Nathan looked down at Brooke; she smiled. "Let's get these last few boxes into the truck." Nathan said heading towards the front door. Turning back towards Brooke he smiled. "You want to pick up some lunch on the way back to my- I mean _our_ place?"

Brooke nodded with a smile. Nathan headed out the front door and Lucas followed. Brooke grabbed Lucas' arm and pulled him back. "Hey Luke, can you help me lift up the bed to make sure I got everything?" She said loud enough for Nathan to hear outside. Then, in a much lower voice, she turned her attention to Lucas. "We need to talk."

Lucas sighed. "If I have to. Be right out, Nate." Lucas called outside mocking Brooke's tone of voice. Brooke clutched onto Lucas's arm tightly and pulled him into the next room, closing the door behind them. "What's the deal?"

"Are you insane?" Brooke demanded.

"Is that a trick question?" Lucas shot back with a half smile.

"I'm not kidding around here, Luke." Brooke sighed. "You can't be making jokes about us fooling around to your brother. What if he catches on that your not joking, Lucas? Then what?"

"Then nothing." Lucas said calmly. Which for some reason pissed Brooke off more. She couldn't stand how he could be so calm about this situation. Her wedding to Nathan was less then 45 days away and here she was fooling around with his older brother. Brooke sighed. Lucas put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Look at me. He's not going to catch on. I won't let him. I promise ok?" Grabbing her chin with his hand he pulled her in for a kiss. Rolling her eyes and giving him a faint smile was all it took for Lucas to know that Brooke was over her small crisis. "Now, do I really need to lift up this bed? Or were you just trying to get me in here for some quicky sex."

Brooke laughed and smacked him on the shoulder playfully. "Let's go Casanova." Before exiting the room with Lucas, Brooke paused and pulled him back towards her. Standing on her tip toes, she leaned forward against him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"What was that for?" Lucas asked, his grin growing wider.

"For offering to find Tim a date to go with for the wedding." Brooke smiled.

"What? I said no such-" Lucas started to complain.

"Let's go." Brooke brushed past Lucas and smacked him on the butt. "Hurry up, Scott."

"As you wish, Davis." Lucas said willingly following her out.

Lucas past by her rather quickly and out the door, just in time to help his brother pack the last remain boxes of Brookes junk into the back of the pick up truck.

"What took you so long?" Nathan asked his brother. "And why do you have pink lip gloss on your face?"

Lucas shot Brooke a look. She was standing in the doorway watching him talk to Nathan. He quickly rattled his brain for an explanation to get himself out of this tangle. "I told you Nate, you're girlfriends smoking some serious crack. She found like eight lip glosses under that bed of hers and made me try them on to see which one she wanted. She needs therapy. The sooner, the better." Lucas said patting Nathan's shoulder and climbing into the drivers' seat of the truck.

"Thanks for the advice." Nathan joked. "Hey Brooke! Come on! We're ready to go!" Nathan called out to Brooke.

Brooke forced a smile. "I'll be out in one sec, I just have to grab my purse." Shutting the door so the boys couldn't see her she leaned against the door, purposely hitting the back of her head against it. Whipping away stray tears that had formed in her eyes as she watched her fiancé and his brother, her lover, chat. _What have I done?_ She thought to herself.

Checking her appearance in her small compact mirror she sighed. _I'm really going to miss this place_. She had spent most of her adult life in this apartment, even some of her teenage years here. Now she was twenty-two, a college graduate and getting married. Her life had changed so much since she had moved into this small one bedroom apartment. Before she lived here Nathan and Haley did, then Nathan moved home and Brooke moved in. Then it was just her and Haley. Those two years had been the best two years of her life. And now here she was two years later marrying her ex-roommates ex-husband, and sleeping with his brother. Pausing to give the place one more look around, she opened the front door and stepped out. "Bye." She told the empty apartment as she shut the door behind her.

Locking the front door, she slipped the key under the welcome matt. Looking down in the drive way at the man she was going to marry, she quickly stepped down off the porch and ran to his side putting on another forced, fake smile.

"Ready?" He asked her with a grin.

She knew he was truly happy with her and for now, that's all that would matter. Showing him her purse she grinned. This time, it was the real deal. "Ready." Holding out his hand, Brooke allowed Nathan to help her climb up into the truck and then climbed in behind her. Keeping her eyes off of Lucas, Brooke watched Nathan slam the passenger door shut. Noticing her stare, he gave her a quick kiss and smile. Brooke smiled back, but on the inside she was screaming, about the position she was in. The position Lucas had put her in. No- The position she had put herself in. Looking over at Lucas, then back at her fiancé, she only then under stood the gravity of her problem. She had been forced in between Nathan and Lucas. In between brothers. In between best friends. So there she sat, a fake smile planted on her face as they drove away from her empty apartment, wedged between her fiancé and her lover. This indeed, would be a very bumpy ride to the alter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Two – Who's The Hottest Rock Star I Know?**

The crowd went wild with cheers and Chris Keller finished his last set. Waving to his well earned crowd of adoring fans, he set his guitar back into its beat old case covered with bumper stickers on he had collected over the years. "Thanks you! You guys were exceptional tonight!" He called out to his fans. The two blonde bimbos that he had invited on stage to dance next to him threw themselves against him. Showering him with hugs and kisses on the cheek, Chris politely pried off his future stalkers and bowed to his crowd before exiting on stage left. An over weight short woman practically dodged herself in front of Chris blocking his path.

Chris rolled his eyes and sighed. "We have to stop meeting like this Mary-Ann." He chuckled to himself and patted her on the shoulder as he brushed past her.

His passive blow off didn't stop Mary-Ann. She treaded fastly after Chris and pulled out her palm pilot out of her purse. "Great show Mr. Keller." She said preparing to read off the announcements she had written earlier that had just been updated.

"Thanks, Chris Keller is pleased himself." Chris retorted in the third person.

Usually this would have aggravated Mary-Ann, Chris' personal assistant, but she didn't have the time to even bother correcting him. "First off: A Miss Haley James called you –again might I add– while you were performing; she left a message asking for you to call her back when you have the time. She was wondering about-"

Chris cut her off. "I'll call her back tomorrow. Next."

Mary-Ann sighed. Half from frustration of being assigned to work with such an arrogant asshole, such as Chris Keller, and if she didn't need the money so bad she would have walked out years ago. And the other half of that sigh was for Miss James. Chris and Haley had been friends for a long time, but ever since he started dating the blonde girl with the funny name, he had been avoiding Haley's calls. Making her lie and say he was out when he was indeed in the same room. Infact, she have vowed to herself after hanging up with Haley earlier that night, she wasn't going to help him avoid her calls anymore. Chris Keller was going to have to face whatever problem he was having with Haley and as the motto goes: "sooner is always better, then later."

A few stage hands and crew members said their praises to Chris about his performance before she continued. "The new shipment of shirts you ordered last week came in earlier this morning." She gestured towards the black t-shirt she was wearing, but Chris didn't even glance over before giving his nod of approval. There are exactly three thousand t-shits in those boxes. Brad counted them and then I counted them myself, twice." She waited again for as much as a nod. But when it didn't come, she continued. "Your fan mail is all in your closet back at the hotel, and a letter from a Nathan Scott and Brooke Davis arrived for you."

The two names caught Chris' attention. He stopped in his tracks and turned to face Mary-Ann. "Do you have it on you?" Chris practically demanded.

Mary-Ann shook her head. "No. I'm sorry I wasn't thinking." She hung her head. "I placed it on top of your laptop back in the hotel. I could go-" Mary-Ann started but Chris cut her off.

"No. It's fine." Chris said positioning himself back in the direction he was originally headed. "Continue."

"And last a Miss…" Mary-Ann paused a minute to check her palm pilot before continuing. Mary-Ann opened her mouth to continue after checking her facts, but was cut off.

"Hey Keller." A voice came from behind the two.

Both Chris spun around in unison to face the person who had called out to Chris. Chris's body relaxed when he recognized a familiar blonde was the person behind the voice. "Hey Sawyer."

Mary-Ann, a little out of the loop didn't even bother to look back at Chris's visitor. She had a pretty good guess who the female behind that voice was. So instead, she out through the back door, and into the parking lot. Pulling a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket, she lit on up and took in a deep breath. Letting the smokey air out of her lungs she read the note she was about to read Chris. Peyton Sawyer is here. The note read. _Surprise, surprise_. She thought to herself before deleting the message.

Chris walked up to Peyton with ease and gave her a hug. "You're here." He said with a confused smile.

"I'm here." Peyton answered with a chuckle. She gave Chris another hug. "Surprised?"

"This definitely is a surprise." Chris laughed to no one in particular. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I didn't think that you were coming until tomorrow."

"No. You're right." Peyton laughed. "It turns out Jenny only had the stomach flu, so Jake released me of my guardianship duties so I could come back early."

"Nice." Chris held out his arm, gesturing for her to grab on to his had. Catching the gesture, she laced her fingers with him comfortable. "Come on." He said illusively.

Peyton laughed. "Where are we going, Master?" she asked sarcastically.

"Master, huh? That's hot." He said putting in his own sarcastic opinion. "And to answer you question. We're going to the bar. Where else?"

"Where else?" Peyton laughed with enthusiasm.

About twenty minutes later, Chris Keller had managed to get past his stalker fans and now was sitting comfortably on a stool at the bar next to Peyton.

"Another round of doubles for me and Goldie Locks." Chris told the thin brunette bartender behind the counter.

"Coming right up." She said with a smile.

Chris turned his attention back to Peyton. "So how is Jake liking New York?" Chris, personally, really could careless about Jake or how he was liking the move to New York, but it mattered to Peyton, so he pretended to care.

"Thanks for the false enthusiasm." She said catching onto his lack of interest. "He's liking it. Jenny is loving first grade. And Nicki still hast caught up with them. Which is good, I guess."

The bartender put their drinks in front of Peyton and Chris. Chris downed another shot before responding to what Peyton had told him.

"You guess? Isn't Nicki that crazy bitch who keeps trying to steal his kid?" Chris asked. Peyton nodded. "I could hire someone to take care of her."

"Take care of her?" Peyton asked sipping down her shot.

"Yeah. I could hire someone to kill her. Like a hit man." Chris informed his drunken girlfriend.

"That's a sweat idea, babe." Peyton said sincerely before breaking out into a fit of laughs. "But I don't think it will fly well with Jake." She patted Chris on the shoulder and stood up. "Ok soldier. Lets have that driver of yours take us back to what ever five star hotel your staying at."

"You want to see the guys?" He asked referring to his band members.

Peyton seemed to find the question hysterical. "I said the hotel, not the tour bus your band is stuck on." Peyton pulled Chris to his feet and gave him an over dramatic wink. "Let's go."

Chris put a hundred dollar bill on the counter for the bartender to pay for the drinks. It was clear the Chris that Peyton was way worse off then he was. Apparently it only took half the drinks to get her drunk, then it did to get him to the same stage she was at now. Picking her up and pulling her over his shoulder he laughed and called out to his driver. "Let's go! Chris Keller is getting laid!"

The driver excused himself politely from the game of pool he was in the middle of and followed Chris and his girlfriend out of the bar.

By the time the hour long drive through traffic back to the hotel was over, Peyton had sobered up some. She had passed out immediately after falling into the car and the speed bump in the road had awoken her.

"She's alive! She's alive!" Chris called out quoting a line from Young Frankenstein. "How was passing out?"

"I'm sorry. Were you planning on getting laid tonight or not?" Peyton shot back. It always amazed Chris how she could recover so quickly. Anyone else would look like crap at the moment, if they were in Peyton's shoes, but not Peyton. Her blonde curls actually looked better when they had been flattened a little. Only then did he really take notice to what Peyton was wearing. Looking at her over all appearance, he laughed. "Shut up!" She said smacking his arm.

"No. You look fine." He reassured her. "But what in the hell is that shirt about?"

"I should ask you. They wouldn't let me back stage unless I was wearing it." She said holding out her t-shirt and reading it. "_Who's The Hottest Rock Star I Know?_" She said reading the front of the shirt out loud.

Chris laughed. "I don't know, Blondie. You tell me."

As an answer she turned her back towards Chris for him to read. The back of the black shirt read:_ Chris Keller! _Chris chuckled to himself. _Nice Mary-Ann. Real Nice._ He thought to himself.

"Who is this _Chris Keller_ they speak of?" Chris asked Peyton who had readjusted herself comfortably in her seat.

"Just some loser guy I'm dating." Peyton said sarcastically with a smile.

"A loser, huh? Is he at least good in bed?" Chris chuckles to himself.

"He's decent." Peyton smiled.

"Decent, huh?" Chris leaned in and kissed Peyton. "Who's the better kisser?"

"Oh, definitely him." Peyton whispered into his ear.

"Oh, is that right?" Chris said tickling her side.

"Stop it!" Peyton called out between laughs.

"I'm sorry who's the better kisser?" Chris asked ignoring her pleas.

"I told you! He is!"

"Wrong answer!" Chris said continuing to make her squeal. "I'll ask you again: who's the better kisser! I am! Say it!"

"Fine! I'll say it!" Peyton snorted.

"What?" Chris asked ignoring her.

"I said fine. You're the better kisser." She told him. "Good answer?"

"Great answer." He said giving her quick peck on the cheek.

Settling himself back into his seat, Chris watched the buildings fly by outside his window. He loved being in California. Peyton scooted over next to her boy friend and whispered something discretely into his ear, before kissing his neck softly. Chris pushed a button on a small remote making the window that separated him and Peyton from the driver. "I want to be at the hotel in the next five minutes!" Chris called out to him and rolled back up the window and turned his attention back to Peyton.

An hour later Peyton climbed out of the king size hotel bed and wrapped a white linen sheet around herself. Pulling on Chris' boxers and her new '_Who's The Hottest Rock Star I Know?_' t-shirt she smirked at Chris.

"Where do you think you're going?" Chris asked.

"Down to the Lobby. I saw a Coffee Bean on the way up." She informed her naked boyfriend."

"Girl. Get naked and back in bed." Chris told her.

Peyton put her hands on her hips and laughed. "You want me to get you something?"

"You know what I like." Chris said sitting up and pulling on his pants. Grabbing his laptop off the nightstand next to him he almost didn't notice the large square envelope on top of his lap top. "Paying me for my services?" Chris asked jokingly.

Peyton rolled her eyes, already knowing what was in the envelope. She had received hers last week. "Just open it."

Chris pulled open the envelope and read the card.

_You're invited to the wedding of Nathan Scott and Brooke Davis. _

Chris read the over the rest of the of the invitation, which basically consisted of the when, the where, the what to wear, the what to bring, and the time. "Brooke and Nathan are getting married?"

"You knew they were engaged. It was bound to happen sometime." Peyton said practically.

"True." Chris said thinking about it.

"So…Are you going?" Peyton asked Chris.

"Are you?"

"I'm the maid of honor. I have to go." Peyton laughed.

"Then count me in." Chris said setting the invitation back on the dresser and laying back down.

"Great. You can be my date." Peyton said truly excited. "We're leaving for Tree Hill tomorrow night." She informed him.

Chris sat back up. "What?"

"I have maid of honor duties. So pack your bags, Keller. We're going to North Carolina.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Three – Perfect Situation**

Putting her mail into her mouth, Haley James searched through her oversized purse for her keys. Finally finding them at the bottom of the bag, she unlocked her front door. As walked into her small two bedroom apartment, she tossed the keys on to the hallway table and set her purse down next to them. Grabbing the mail out of her mouth, she kicked the door shut behind her, and made her way to her bedroom. Throwing down the unopened mail onto her bed, she pulled off her tennis shoes and flopped down onto her bed, exhausted. Grabbing the remote controller to her stereo she pushed play and waited for the CD to start up.

_What's the deal? _

_With my brain? _

_Why am I so obviously insane? _

_In a perfect situation… _

Haley began to sing along to the song as she got comfortable.

_I let love down the drain. _

_There's the pitch, _

_Slow and straight. _

_All I have to do is swing and I'm a hero, _

_But I'm a zero…_

She had spent the last three hours of her day in the gym, doing crunches, sit ups, pull ups, bench pressing weights and jogging on the treadmill. To her, it was a great work out. Peeling off her sticky work out clothes she pulled on a clean pair of shorts and a tank top.

_Hungry nights, _

_Once again,_

_Now it's getting unbelievable,_

_'Cause I could not have it better, _

_But I just can't get no play, _

_From the girls,_

_All around, _

_As they search the night for someone to hold onto, _

_And just pass through…_

Grabbing the phone off its charger, she dialed her voicemail and waited to see if Chris Keller had bothered to call her back. Nope. "Damnit!" Haley said turning the phone of and throwing it across the room angrily. Grabbing the pile of mail, she sorted through it. _Trash. Trash. Bill. Trash. Bill. Bill. Trash. Trash. – What is this?_

_Singing oh-oh, _

_oh-oh, ohhhh-hoooo _

_Singing oh-oh, _

_oh-oh, ohhhh-hoooo _

Haley tore open the large square envelope and read it over. "He's marring that slut?" she exclaimed. Even more pissed off then before; Haley marched across the room and grabbed her phone off the ground. Punching in the first phone number that came to mind she waited.

_Ring…_

_Ring… _

_Rin- _

"Hello?" A voice said from the other end of the phone.

Haley skipped the hello's, the what's ups, and went straight for the problem. "Lucas Scott! How dare you? How dare you not tell me…tell me…" She cried into the phone. "How dare you not tell me that Nathan is marring that whore?"

"Haley?" Lucas asked confused on the other end.

"You're damn right its Haley! Why didn't you tell me? Huh? Was it pull a big one on Haley day, and I didn't get the memo?" Haley screamed into the phone.

_Get your hands,_

_Off the girl._

_Can't you see that she belongs to me? _

_And I don't appreciate this,_

_Excess company. _

_Though I can't,_

_Satisfy. _

_All the needs she has and so she starts to wander _

_Can you blame her? _

Lucas laughed. "They actually sent you and invitation?"

"No. I just made one up in my head. Yes! Yes, Lucas! That whore sent me an invitation to rub the fact that she's with him in my face!"

"I'm sure Nathan was the one who had it sent. He probably was just being nice. I bet you he doesn't even think you're going to show up." Lucas remained calm.

"How does this not bug the hell out of you? The girl you love, the one you are supposed to be with is marrying your brother." Haley said starting to rationalize and calm down. "Listen, me and you aren't too far apart on the totem pole here, buddy. I know this is killing you too. Please, feel free to bathe in your self pity with me."

_Singing oh-oh, _

_oh-oh, ohhhh-hoooo _

_Singing oh-oh, _

_oh-oh, ohhhh-hoooo _

"Now that's the spirit!" Lucas laughed. "You're the lucky one."

"Lucky? Lucas, me ex husband is marring one of my supposed best friends – correction – ex best friend and I'm the lucky one? What are you smoking?"

"True." Lucas chuckled. "But its not like they expect you to go. I have to go. I'm the best man. I have best man duties to oblige. I have to where the penguin suit and on top of all that I don't have a date."

"Why don't you take that girlfriend of yours? You know, the one you always talk about."

_Tell me there's a logic out there. _

_Leading me to better prepare,_

_For the day that something really special might come. _

_Tell me there's some hope for me. _

_I don't wanna be lonely. _

_For the rest of my days on the earth… _

_Brooke_. Lucas thought. He quickly shook the thought of her name out of her head. "She…She has other plans."

"That's just great for her."

"No kidding…" Lucas thought for a moment. "I have the perfect idea!"

"What?"

"You can be my date!" Lucas exclaimed.

Haley laughed. "You can't be serious."

"Oh but I can." Lucas smiled to himself. "I'm stuck with out a date, and let's face it you got a pity invite. No one is expecting you to go. And I'm expected to bring a date. It's perfect."

Haley started to protest. "Lucas…I don't thin-"

Lucas cut her off. "Brooke won't expect you to be there. She most likely doesn't even want you there. It would piss her off royally for you to actually show up, let alone with me!"

Haley thought about it for a long minute and sighed. "As much as I'm pissed off at her, Lucas, it wouldn't be right to ruin her wedding like that. I may hate her, but I want Nathan to be happy, and if that means he needs to marry her…Well then…Well then I'll just have to accept it."

"Fine. Don't go to piss Brooke off. Go for me. I need a date. The best man cannot show up at the wedding alone. Its…It's a bad omen!" Lucas shot out.

"You're such a liar." Haley laughed. "At me and Nathan there wasn't even a best man."

"See how well that turned out?" Lucas laughed.

"Play nice." Haley rolled her eyes. "Especially if you want me to go to this thing with you."

"Does that mean you are considering it?" Lucas asked hopefully.

"Fine. I'll go. But not willingly." Haley sighed. "If anyone asks you dragged me with you so you wouldn't be stuck with Tim all night."

"How did you-"

"I'm your best friend. I have my ways." Haley ran a hand through her long blonde hair. "So am I going to be wearing a dress to this thing?"

_Oh-oh, _

_oh-oh, ohhhh-hoooo _

_Singing oh-oh, _

_oh-oh, ohhhh-hoooo _

_Singing oh-ohhhh..._

An hour later Haley hung up the phone with Lucas. She still wasn't too thrilled with the whole idea, but she could tell that Lucas was desperate. Why else would he beg her into going with him as a date?

Turning on the shower, Haley took off her clothes, and waited for the water to get warm enough to go in. Climbing into the shower she let the warm water wash over her face, secretly hoping that it would wash away the hurt and pain she had caused over the last seven years of her life, and the hurt and pain she had felt would also subside. This was a false hope for Haley. The damaged she'd caused, the pain that she had felt, the life she never lived, was all reality, not some fairy tale with a happy ending. A story with a happy ending is a false story. There are no happy endings in reality, just life.

Haley tried to hold back the tears but couldn't. Sitting down at the bottom of the shower she let herself go. She let herself cry. Cry over the man she had once loved. Cry over the best friend misplace. Cry over the loneliness she felt every time she walked into her empty apartment. She wanted so badly to hate Brooke. To hate her for betraying her. To hate her for lying to her. To hate her for stealing Nathan. To hate her for marrying the man that she loved. But she simply couldn't.

As the water hit Haley's back she realized something very important. It wasn't fair to blame Brooke for her own loneliness. Brooke hadn't made her this way. She had made her own self so pathetic. It's not like Brooke didn't ask for Haley's permission –not that she even needed too– before accepting Nathan's request for a date. Had she not told her that it was fine? That Nathan was free to date whom ever he wanted, even Brooke. Haley had no reason to have blown up at Brooke the way she did when Brooke mentioned a second date with Nathan to her. She had no right. Pulling herself back up to her feet Haley let go of all the hate and anger she felt towards Brooke. It was a burden on her shoulders that she didn't need to bear.

She was going to re-reconcile with Brooke before this wedding happened if it killed her. And going to the Wedding Rehearsal dinner with Lucas was the perfect situation…


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Four – Confessions**

Brooke checked her wrist watch once more. _Where the hell is she?_ Brooke thought.

It had been a month since Peyton had returned to Tree Hill for preparations for the wedding, with Chris Keller. Brooke wasn't too thrilled with the fact that he had actually decided to come. Nathan was against the whole idea of even inviting him, but Brooke knew her best friend wanted him there, so she politely sent him an invite. It was bad enough having to have him at her wedding, but Chris had been monopolizing all of Peyton's time, keeping her from her best friend duties. Like today, they were supposed to be meeting up at Coffee Bean for some drinks and then were going to go to the movies and maybe to the mall before the rehearsal dinner that night. But was Peyton on time? Nope.

Peyton practically pushed an elderly woman as she ran into the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Letting out a sigh of relief when she spotted Brooke sitting at a small table in the back corner of the coffee house. Holding her oversized purse close to her chest she rushed towards her. "Oh my god! I'm _so_ sorry."

"Next time tell Keller to get you here early." Brooke shot back angrily.

"I wasn't with Chris." Peyton informed her friend. "I was getting you…" Peyton carefully pulled a small orange kitten out of her bag and smiled. "This!" Peyton handed the kitten to Brooke. "Like?"

"Love." Brooke smiled and hugged her best friend. "Thank you, P. Sawyer."

"Am I forgiven?" Peyton inquired.

"Totally." Brooke exclaimed. "Let's start this over again." Brooke said regaining her cool. "Hey Slutty Maid of Honor."

"Hey Skanky Bride." Peyton laughed. "Did you already order my drink?"

Brooke shook her head. "Not yet. I was just about too. It can wait." Running her hands through her hair she smiled at her best friend. "What's up, fake goldie locks?"

"Oh my god! I didn't tell you?" Peyton said with fake enthusiasm. "Nothing!"

"You do live an interesting life full of crazy adventures, don't you?" Brooke laughed.

"Oh, but I learned it all from you." Peyton smiled. "What about you?"

"My news…not so great…" Brooke sighed. Peyton gave her a look of worry. "I need to talk to you about something, Peyton."

"Uh-oh. This sounds almost serious." Peyton's smile faded.

"It is." Brooke sighed. "I don't know what I'm doing with my life, Peyton. Everything is just changing so fast."

"Sure you do. You're getting married to Nathan. One of the greatest guys we know." Peyton let out a small giggle. "Who would have thought, you'd actually date one of my ex's for a change?"

Brooke smiled. "About that… I don't know how to say this any other way than: I'm sle-"

Brooke was cut off as Nathan walked in. "Hey Nate!" Peyton called Nathan over. "This can wait, right?" Peyton asked Brooke.

Brooke nodded helplessly.

Nathan walked up to the two girls. "Hey beautiful." He said leaning over and kissed Brooke's forehead.

"Hey." She said kissing his nose.

Turning towards Peyton, Nathan smiled. "Peyton."

"Nathan." Peyton laughed.

Brooke rolled her eyes. She couldn't help but smile. She loved the fact that there was no awkward tension between Peyton and Nathan. It was a much mellower vibe when she was with the two of them, more then when she was with anyone else anyways. "Pull up a chair. I'll have my future Latin lover over there make you a drink too. What do you want?"

Nathan grabbed a chair from a near by table and pulled it up next to Brooke. "Just a normal coffee is fine."

Brooke waved the server boy back over and told him what the three wanted. While they waited for their drinks Brooke comfortably rested her head on Nathan's shoulder as the three discussed their day.

About five minutes later the server brought them their drinks. Leaving a twenty on the table to pay for the drinks, Nathan, Brooke, and Peyton headed outside.

"Well, I'll catch you guys later, alright?" Nathan said walking to his truck.

Brooke ran up behind him and grabbed his waist. "Or you could hang with us." Giving a soft kiss on the back of his neck she eased him backwards to where Peyton was waiting.

"Where are you guys off to anyways?" Nathan questioned.

"To the movies." Peyton answered. "We're seeing that new Robin Williams movie. You're welcome to come with." Peyton offered.

Nathan looked down at Brooke; she smiled. "Alright. I guess I could hang out with you losers for a while."

"Hey, watch it buddy!" Brooke playfully hit his shoulder.

An hour into the movie, the gravity of guilt set in. Brooke excused herself from the movie, and went into the Ladies Restroom. Pulling her sidekick out of her purse she text messaged Peyton.

OxBrooke01xO: Get out here!

Xx P Sawyer xX: Be right out.

OxBrooke01xO: Thanx!

Peyton excused herself away from Nathan, who was too busy to even notice that Brooke was gone, let alone Peyton was also leaving.

"Brooke?" Peyton asked to no one in particular when she made it out of the theater and into the lobby.

Brooke waved a hand from the ladies room to get Peyton's attention. Peyton scratched her head a bit confused as to her friend's antics, but reluctantly walked over to Brooke. Brooke practically pulled Peyton's arm out of the socket when she pulled her into on of the empty stalls.

Peyton gave her a look of worry. "Are you ok?" Peyton asked genuinely worried about her best friend and her spastic attitudes lately.

Brooke shook her head. "I've been trying to tell you since you got here. Everything looks fine, but its not." Brooke sighed heavily. "There is something I need to tell you. I know you'll hate me, but I need some advice."

Peyton suddenly became very worried. _What could be so bad that Brooke would be practically in tears at the mention of it? _Peyton put a comforting hand on Brooke's arm. "What is it Brooke?"

Brooke sighed. She knew there was no other way then to tell Peyton the flat out truth. "I'm sleeping with Lucas."

Peyton's eyes widened and her mouth hung open. Before she realized what she was doing, she smacked Brooke square across the face. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?

Brooke took the slap, and bit back her tears. "I don't know." She confessed. "I just thought that you would understand."

"How in the hell would you expect me to understand this?" Peyton laughed out of despair.

Brooke sighed. "Because you and Lucas…"

"That's different, Brooke! That was five years ago! We were in high school, Brooke. We're not in high school anymore." Peyton shot back angrily. "There wasn't a wedding involved in that, and neither was anyone's family." Peyton sighed, calming down a bit. "Why would you do this, Brooke? Why would you fuck up a good thing? Nathan loves you. Don't you love him?"

"Yes!" Brooke cried.

"And what about Lucas?" Peyton questioned. "Do you love him too?"

Brooke stiffened. "No…that feeling left along time ago. We're just fooling around."

Peyton bit her bottom lip before responding. "Are you sure? Are you positive you don love Lucas? Because if there is any doubt in your mind that you might love him, if only just a little bit, then its not fair for you to marry his brother."

Brooke nodded. "Don't you think I know that? Don't you think I would do anything to make this go away?" Brooke pushed past Peyton and walked out of the stall. Checking her appearance in the mirror she looked back at Peyton through the mirror. "I'm telling him it's over tonight. I'm telling Lucas it over."

Those words probably should have calmed Peyton's nerves, but they didn't. Peyton couldn't grasp for the likes of her why Brooke would cheat on Nathan with Lucas. Or why she would bring up Lucas and Peyton's past, when she knew that was far in their pasts. But the thought that would keep her awake in bed that night had to do with Nathan. Poor Nathan. First Haley and Chris, and now this…? How was he supposed to deal with all of this? How was he supposed to go through this whole thing again? Right then and there Peyton maid a vow not to tell Nathan what she knew. _So help me god, if Brooke doesn't break things off with Lucas tonight…then I will confess to Nate what I know… _Peyton sighed and went back into the movies to find Brooke snuggled up against Nathan. A feel of disgust and relief washed over Peyton all at the same time. At least she was trying to remain cool about this horrible situation.

Tonight's rehearsal dinner would in no doubt be dramatic to say the least...


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Five – Liars, Lovers & Best Friends: Part One**

Each resident of Tree Hill prepared there selves for an evening that was bound to be eventful…to say the least. Dan Scott smiled to himself in his car window before entering his youngest son's home. He knew perfectly well Miss Davis's situation and he couldn't wait to see it all unfold. Dan had only found out recently that his daughter-in-law-to-be was sleeping with her future husband's brother. But Dan knew better then to spill the beans just yet. The real show would be to let Nathan find out about the unfaithful bride-to-be on his own time. It was much more exciting to watch that way.

It was now less then an hour away from the rehearsal dinner and guests were already showing up. Nathan greeted each invited guest as they walked into his and Brooke's home, the place where they would be holding the nights activities.

Nathan greeted Karen and her new husband Andy as they walked into the main room of the home. Shortly after followed his father, Dan Scott, former Mayer of Tree Hill, and his newer, much blonder, much younger girlfriend. _What is her name?_ Nathan couldn't remember. _Berkley? Brittany? Bailey?_ He knew it started with a 'B' and the rest, he could frankly care less.

"Hello son." Dan said shaking Nathan's hand.

"Dad." Nathan said not to enthusiastic that his father had actually came. As a matter of fact, he wasn't so keen on the fact that Brooke insisted on inviting the creep. But nothing was going to bring him down tonight, not even Dan Scott. Nathan turned his attention to his father's girlfriend. "Nice to see _you_ again."

"Nice to see you too, Nathan." The blonde, who upon arrival had been attached to his father's hip, released her grip from Dan and gave Nathan a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Standing on her tip toes so her mouth would be close enough to his ear, she whispered. "My names Bree."

Nathan smiled. _Bree! I knew it started with a 'B'!_ As Bree stepped away from Nathan and clutched back onto Dan's arm Nathan couldn't help but grin. The two were such an odd coupling. Nathan knew that Bree must have been only half his fathers age, maybe less and he also knew that she probably wasn't much older then Nathan. And she was kind of hot. Too hot to be dating a man pushing his late forties that's for sure.

Nathan didn't bother to watch his father and Bree walk away. Shortly after his mother, Deb Lee, and date for the evening walked in. Nathan smiled at the sight of his mother and Whitey. He new very well that the two weren't a couple, but he loved them both.

Deb wrapped her arms around her son into a tight hug. "You look handsome."

"Thanks mom." Nathan blushed. "Hey Coach." All these years had passed since Nathan had played under Whiteys coaching, but he still called him 'Coach.' Now Nathan had aged more, and was a proud member of the North Carolina Bobcats.

"Hey Nate." Coach said shaking Nathan's hand. "Ok. We saw him." He said turning his attention to Deb. "Now where is that gorgeous bride to be?"

Nathan turned and pointed across the room. Brooke stood there all laughs and smiles as she mingled with her guests and her parents and their respective others. She was wearing a long, black, backless, gown that hung loosely in the front. Nathan thought she looked gorgeous. "There." He told Whitey.

Whitey passed by Nathan with a smile, a wink, and a pat on the back. "See you later son."

Deb paused a moment before trailing after Whitey. "I'm going to go say hello to Brooke. I'll be back." She smiled and walked away.

Nathan watched as Brooke greeted his mother and Whitey with a warm smile and hugs and kissed. At the moment she was chatting with Tim and his date. No doubted she was hired to be his date. Probably an out of work stripper. But Nathan didn't care. _God, do I love her_. Nathan thought. Gazing off at Brooke he hardly even noticed the next set of couples to walk in. Peyton held Chris' hand tightly as they walked in to the home. She was nervous on having to see Nathan and pretend everything was ok. She hadn't bothered telling Chris the news the Brooke had shared with her earlier that day. She doubted he would care either way. He would probably blab it to the wrong person and it would get back to Nathan, so it was better she kept her lips sealed.

"Hey." Chris said catching Nathan's attention.

Nathan spun around to face his next round of guest. "Oh. Its you. Hey Keller." Nathan said forcing a smile trying to be polite.

"Chris Keller is digging your place, Nate." Chris said looking around.

"Thanks." Nathan said brushing off the fact that every time he spoke to the loser, Chris talked in the third person. Turning his attention to his other guests, Peyton leaned forward and gave Nathan a kiss on the cheek, and smiled.

Jake, who was holding his seven year old daughter, Jenny's, hand shook Nathan's hand with his free hand. "Hey man."

"Hey." Nathan smiled and crouched down so he was at the level of little Jenny. "Hey beautiful." The little girl leaned forwards and kissed Nathan's cheek. Just as quickly as this kiss came, the girl blushed and hid behind her fathers arm. Rachel laughed. "Hey Rach." Nathan said hugging Rachel.

"Hey Nate, where B. Davis?" Rachel asked. Nathan nodded in Brooke's direction. Rachel smiled. "I'll catch up with you later."

Rachel walked off to see Brooke and Jake laughed. "I go where the red head goes." He told Nathan. As he began to walk away it didn't take him long to notice that Jenny wasn't following behind. He turned back around to face the petite blonde. "Jenny. You comin'?" He asked patiently. As a response Jenny clutched onto Nathan's arm.

Nathan laughed. "It's fine. She can hang out with me."

"If you're sure."

"Really. It's fine." He said patting Jenny on the head. "We're all set, aren't we, Jenny?"

Jenny nodded. "Yep." She answered then blushed again and hid her face behind Nathan's arm.

"If she starts to bug you, send her in my direction." Jake laughed walking off, following Rachel's path.

Peyton turned towards Chris. "Hey, would you mind if I talked to Nathan alone for a minute?" She asked him.

Chris nodded. "That's fine." He kissed her cheek then leaned down so he was at eye level with Jenny. "How would you like to dance with a rock star, shorty?" He held out his hand for Jenny to grab onto. Jenny smiled and grabbed onto his hand practically pulling him out to the dance floor. "Chris Keller might regret this decision." He laughed back to Nathan and Peyton.

Peyton laughed. "Rachel and Jake, huh?" Peyton said turning to Nathan. "Talk about a strange couple."

"Try you and Keller." Nathan laughed. "I never would have thought you would stoop that low."

"Hey!" Peyton playfully smacked him on the shoulder. "He's not half as bad as everyone makes him out to be."

"Peyton, he talks in the third person for god's sake."

"That's just apart of the Chris Keller charm." She laughed.

Nathan looked out on the dance floor and spotted Brooke dancing with Whitey, Chris with Jenny, and Jake with Rachel. Turing back to Peyton he smiled. "Want to dance?" He held out his hand.

"Sure. Why not?" Peyton put her hand in his and smiled. "Let's go." As the two slow danced they chatted. "Speaking of crazy couples, you and Brooke. Who would have guest it?"

"Definitely not me." Nathan confessed. "Not in my wildest dreams did I think about being with her. To be honest, I thought there was more of a chance of us happening again."

Peyton laughed. "Really?"

"Yeah. I know. Crazy, right?"

"Just a little." Peyton smiled "But who could blame you for wanting to be with a fox like me."

Nathan laughed. "Damn straight, Sawyer. Damn straight."

The two danced in silence for a minute. The silence was cut short when Peyton laughed out of the blue.

"What?" Nathan asked her with a smile of confusion.

"I was just thinking…"

"About?"

"About how we all ended up with the people we never would have guessed. "All we need now if for Luke and Haley to hook up and we're set."

Nathan laughed. "Right. Like that would ever happen." A familiar figure appeared in the door way that caught Nathan's eye. It was Lucas. "Hey, Luke!" He called Luke over. Luke smiled faintly and waited for his date. Another figure appeared next to Lucas that Nathan also recognized. Haley James stood here, her arm entwined with Lucas'.

Nathan bit his bottom lip with anger. How dare he bring her here? Clutching tighter onto Peyton he looked into her eyes. "I guess we're all set then, huh?"

"What?" Peyton ask genuinely confused. Nathan turned Peyton towards Lucas and Haley. "Oh my god. What is she doing here?"

"I don't know. Oh, but I bet my big bro does." Nathan responded through his teeth. "Talk about wild pairings…"

Peyton could feel Nathan's grip around her wait grow a little tighter. It turns out that tonight _would_ be living up to every ones expectations. Because you cant have a wedding in Tree Hill with out a little drama and angst to go along with it…


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Six – Liars, Lovers & Best Friends: Part Two**

_(Flash backs in italic…)_

As Brooke danced with Whitey she couldn't help but feel that tonight was going to turn out alright. Everyone that mattered to her was there and tomorrow she was getting married. She was also secretly relieved when Nathan had agreed that they wouldn't have a bachelor or bachelorette party.

_Nathan popped his head from behind the door way and smiled at his bride-to-be. "After you take a shower you have to try these new tooth brushes. They spin on the top, and everything. It's amazing."_

"_Alright." Brooke laughed at how easily Nathan was amused. "Hey, Nate?"_

"_Yeah?" He said groggily while brushing his teeth._

_Brooke set down the bridal magazine she had been flipping through and sat up. "About these bachelor / bachelorette parties…how about we just don't?"_

_Nathan laughed. "Jealous much?"_

"_Conceited much?" Brooke rolled her eyes. "It's just…I was thinking…what's the point?" Brooke sighed with a laugh. "They will be on the same night as the Weddings Rehearsal Dinner, which will probably run late into the night, and then we'll both look like crap and be hung over the next morning for the wedding. I say we just party with everyone at the Dinner next week, okay?"_

"_Fine by me." Nathan nodded his head with a laugh. "But I'm not inviting male strippers into my home for the dinner party."_

_Brooke laughed. "Like you don't want female strippers."_

"_They prefer exotic dancers." Nathan chuckled._

_Brooke threw a pillow at him. "Whatever. They're not coming."_

"_But I was heard the pussy cat dolls make house calls." Nathan playfully complained._

"_That's just too bad then huh?" Brooke ran up to Nathan and locked her arms around his waist. Giving him a kiss she grabbed her own, pink, toothbrush, with 'the spinning top, and everything' and brushed her teeth along with her fiancé. Brooke gave Nathan a toothpaste full smile. _

"_Weren't you going to take a shower?" He asked her with a smile._

"_Yeah…" Brooke laughed. "But I would love the company._

_Both Nathan and Brooke stripped down and went into the shower laughing._

Brooke laughed to herself at the thought of that day. Leaning her chin over Whiteys shoulder she watched as Peyton and Nathan danced nervously. Now that Peyton knew, she prayed to God that she wouldn't tell Nathan. Brooke was shocked to see the odd couple suddenly stop dancing. Both Peyton and Nathan were staring blankly at the entrance way. Brooke followed their gaze. Her mouth fell open. There in the flesh stood Haley James with Lucas Scott. _Oh my god_. She thought to herself. _She actually showed up? And with Lucas?_ Brooke watched as Nathan and Peyton discretely rushed towards Lucas and Haley. Brooke bit her bottom lip trying not to laugh. This was too good to be true. Haley had actually showed up! Did this mean she had forgiven Brooke and finally moved on…to Lucas…?

Brooke wasn't quite sure how she felt about the whole Lucas/Haley paring, but she was still happy to see her old friend. She knew that Haley was probably was nervous to be there in the first place, and Brooke chewing her out for lost time wasn't going to solve anything. Brooke was so excited to see her again. She had changed a great deal over the last two years. She looked just as thin as ever, and in very good shape. In better shape then Brooke anyways, and she had long, silky blonde hair that hung down about four inches from her waist. And as much as Brooke hated to admit it, Haley looked much better in that light turquoise dress, then Brooke would have looked in any of her dresses.

"Hey Whitey." Brooke whispered into the Coaches ear. "It's a miracle."

Whitey turned around. A smile crossed is face when he saw Haley. "Are you going to go over and say hello to your guest on your own? Or am I going to have to drag you?"

Brooke laughed. "Come on." The two gracefully exited the area set aside for dancing and made their way over to Haley and Lucas.

All Scotts and their respective others, along with the five friends dates for the evening took notice that the bride-to-be had left the dance floor. Each following her path with their eyes. Each recognizing a familiar face they hadn't seen in years. Haley James. Deb bit her tongue in disgust. _How dare that girl show up here, the night before Nathan's wedding? _Across the dance floor Dan had a whole different idea in his mind. _This night just keeps getting better and better_. Dan thought with a pleased laugh. Chris thought this whole scene was just great, and Rachel and Jake both decided to stay out of it. They had enough drama dealing with raising Jenny; they didn't need their friends' excess baggage along for the ride also.

Brooke slowed a bit as she passed Nathan and Peyton. "Come on you two." She grabbed onto Nathan's arm. "Time to greet more of _our_ guests."

Nathan reluctantly let Brooke pull him over to Haley. Peyton followed close behind, the three arrived just in time to hear Whitey greet Haley.

"Well me-oh-my, if it is Haley James." Whitey laughed. "Give an old man a hug."

Haley bit her bottom lip and smiled, taking notice to the fact that she had caught half of the guests' attention, including Brooke's and Nathan's. Haley warmly gave Whitey a hug. "Hey Coach. It's so great to see you again."

"It's better now, then the funeral. I guess." Whitey joked. Whitey watched as the kids greeted each other and some how knew things weren't going to be so bad.

Lucas greeted Brooke with a kiss on the cheek, and held out his hand to shake his younger brothers. But when Nathan didn't oblige, he coolly ran his hand through his hair and placed it into his pocket. Haley took notice to the arrival of three new people, two of which she wasn't quite ready to see yet.

Haley faced Peyton and smiled. "Hey Peyton." Haley gave Peyton a generous hug, truly happy to see her. Since Peyton had started dating Chris, she really didn't get much of a chance to see her, let alone catch her on the phone. "I hear you're dating Keller. Interesting."

"Hello to you too." Peyton laughed. "Yeah, I know. He's actually over there." Peyton said turning and gesturing to where Chris was. Jenny was standing on his shoes as the two danced. Chris took notice to Haley and gave her a smile and a quick wave. Haley did the same.

Brooke smiled. "Hey Haley." Brooke said breaking the ice. "It's nice to see you again."

_It's now, or never_. Haley thought and turned her attention to Nathan and Brooke. "Hey Brooke." The two old friends shared an awkward half hug. But both girls took notice to how the other was trying to make an effort. Looking up at Nathan, Haley had trouble finding the right words to say to him. Brooke had been easy. Even though the girls hadn't spoken in two years, it had been longer since she'd spoken with Nathan. She could never really forgive him for breaking her heart so many years ago. But she wasn't here to remorse in the past. She was hear to make a present and future, with her old friends. "Hey Nate." She managed to get out calmly.

"Haley." If you thought the hug between Brooke and Haley was full of tension, awkwardness, and angst, the hug between Nathan and Haley was ten times that. More like a hundred.

The group was interrupted by one of the hired waiters. "We're ready to serve the food, Miss Davis." The waiter told Brooke.

Brooke nodded. Grabbing Haley's hand she smiled. "You can sit next to me."

Haley slowly, but willingly, followed Brookes lead to the dinning table. For the next hour an a half friends and family of the soon-to-be-wed couple laughed, and joked, and had a great time. Not too long after the dinner the guest left with their respective others one by one. Soon it was just Brooke, Nathan, Lucas, Haley and Peyton left. Peyton had taken current residence over the guest bedroom toilet. Perhaps she had just a little too much too drink. Peyton's alcoholic intakes worried Brooke, but when it was ever brought up with her friends, she bit her lip. She knew better then to bad mouth Peyton, especially now that Peyton knew Brookes dirty little secret.

Chris had left about an hour earlier with out Peyton, and with Rachel, Jake and Jenny. They had made plans for Jenny to go to a sitter while the three of them went clubbing for a few hours. Peyton's plans that evening were with Brooke anyhow. Peyton and Brooke had rented a room at the Tree Hill Lodge for the night, because it was bad luck for Nathan and Brooke to spend the night together.

Brooke dropped her duffel bag full of the essentials to last her for the night next to the front door. Waiting for Peyton to come out of the bathroom, she watched the servers and hired help clean the mess left from their guest earlier. Across the room, in a back corner Brooke watched as Lucas and Haley laughed. As much as Brooke didn't want to admit it, she was a little jealous. Brooke walked into an empty kitchen and grabbed water bottle out of the refrigerator before leaving. She was genuinely surprised to see Lucas walk in behind her.

"Hey beautiful." Lucas said with a smile as he pressed her back against a wall and kissed her.

Brooke let herself indulge for a moment before gently pushing him away. "Stop it." She warned him. "Nathan is just in the other room." She whipped her mouth before continuing. "God, Lucas, I'm getting married tomorrow. This has to stop."

Lucas smiled grabbing her chin and pulling her mouth to his. "Who says." He kissed her again.

Brook pushed him away hardly. "I said no." She grabbed the water bottle that had fallen out of her hand and to the ground and walked out of the kitchen. Not paying much attention she bumped right into Peyton. Forcing a smile she laughed. "Ready to go Blondie?"

Brooke ran up to Nathan and gave him a quick kiss. "See you tomorrow handsome." She called back to him as she ran to the front door where Peyton was waiting. The two girls waved good bye to Lucas and Haley before heading out the door and to the Hotel.

That night, while Peyton slept, Brooke laid wide awake. She wondered if Peyton, had heard, or maybe even seen what had happened in the kitchen. Brooke quickly dismissed the thoughts. Even if Peyton had seen or heard anything she wouldn't mention it. She probably would think it was the boos making her imagine it. And if she did mention something, that's exactly what Brooke, would tell her. That she must have imagined it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Seven – Good Morning Beautiful**

_You say you fell while holding diamonds in your hands_

_"It's your fault for running, holding diamonds," I said_

_And I offer no sympathy for that_

_I hear that it was you who died alone_

_And I offer no sympathy for that_

_Better off I sparkle on my own…_

The next morning Peyton woke up before Brooke. Tip toeing out of the bed, careful not to wake her sleeping best friend, she went down stairs and got some Starbucks from across the street. When she returned with hers and Brooke's drinks in hand, Brooke was still passed out. Peyton set Brooke's drink in the mini-fridge and got back in bed next to Brooke. Sipping on her drink, Peyton flipped through the channels impatiently waiting for Brooke to awake.

After an hour of channel surfing Peyton checked the alarm clock next to the bed. 7:03 am. _Brooke wants to be up early anyways_. Peyton thought to herself, before nudging her sleeping friend on the shoulder. "Good morning beautiful."

Brooke slowly opened one eye and squinted. "Time?"

Peyton laughed and held out the alarm clock for Brooke to see. "You wanted to be up early anyway right?"

Brooke rolled over onto her back. And slowly pulled herself up into a sitting position. "How long have you been up?" She asked taking notice to the half empty cup of Starbucks coffee.

"About two hours." Peyton laughed. "Yours is in the refrigerator." She informed her friend.

"Coffee?" Brooke whined with a smiled. Peyton climbed out of bed and brought her friend what she whined for. "Thanks P. Sawyer." Brooke smiled. Taking a large sip of her cold caramel macchiato she winced.

_And someday love will find me in the rough_

_Someday love will finally be enough…_

"It was hot when I got it" Peyton laughed. "There's a microwave over there. Want me to heat it up for you?"

Brooke took another sip of her caffeinated beverage and laughed. "No. It's fine." Brooke pushed herself out of the bed and took one last sip of the coffee before placing it back in the mini-fridge. Pulling off the oversized bed t-shirt, she grabbed her cell phone off the table and threw it to Peyton. "Call Haley." She told Peyton, and in return Peyton shot her back a look of confusion. "I know you know the number. Just tell her to be at the church in an hour. I want her to be one of my bridesmaids.

"Brooke…" Peyton said unsurely. She didn't want Haley to feel pressured back into things too fast.

"Do it." Brooke insisted and headed into the bathroom.

A few seconds later Peyton heard the shower start up. Sighing, she dialed in Haley's phone number and made the call.

_I turned around 3 times and wound up at your door_

_Now you say you know all you did not know before_

_And I offer no sympathy for that_

_I hear that it was you who died alone_

_And I offer no sympathy for that_

_Better off I sparkle on my own…_

Haley checked the caller ID before picking up the phone. It was Peyton. "Hey Peyton."

"Hey." Peyton said on the other line. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I stayed the night at Luke's." Haley explained. Quickly realizing that Peyton would probably take it the wrong way, she explained further. "I ended up coming back here and watching a movie with him after the rehearsal dinner. Past out during the movie, and crashed here."

"What ever you say, porn star." Peyton laughed. "Anyways. Brooke wants you to be in her wedding."

"I am coming. I'm Lucas' date, _remember?_" Haley threw a pillow at Lucas who was still passed out. Lucas shot up almost immediately and rolled his eyes when he saw it was only Lucas. Lucas nodded towards the phone asking who it was._ 'Peyton' _Haley mouthed back.

"Hey Peyton!" Lucas said loud enough for Peyton to hear him.

"Tell him I said hi." Peyton bit her bottom lip. "Look. She doesn't was you to be just as a guest...She wants you to be one of her bridesmaids." Peyton said flatly.

Haley paused a moment before answering. Putting her hand over the speaker she turned her attention to Lucas. "Brooke wants me to be one of the bridesmaids. Should I?"

"Go for it." Lucas told her. Pulling off his shirt, he smacked Haley's butt before existing the room. "I'm going to get some coffee in the kitchen. Want any?"

She shook her head. "Sure. I would love to." Haley told Peyton.

"Alright. I'll tell Brooke." Peyton smiled. "Hey, can I talk to Luke for a sec?"

_And someday love will find me in the rough_

_Someday love will finally be enough…_

"Sure." Haley said. "Here superstar." She said throwing Lucas her cell phone as he walked back into the room with his coffee.

"Hello?" Lucas said into the phone.

"Don't go to the wedding." Peyton told him flatly.

"What?" Lucas asked genuinely confused. "I have to go to the wedding. I'm the best man." Lucas looked over at Haley, who shrugged.

Peyton laughed. "We know how much of a mistake that is."

"What are you talking about, Peyton?" Lucas looked over at Haley, who shrugged.

"Don't pretend you don't know, Lucas. I know what you and Brooke are doing."

"Peyton, I'm not sure-" Lucas started.

Peyton cut him off. "I saw you two last night." Peyton explained. "Stay away from her and Nathan, Lucas, I mean it. Just leave them alone."

Lucas excused himself from the room and locked himself in the bathroom. "I don't think you know the whole story here Peyton."

"I know enough." Peyton frowned. "Brooke told me what you two are–were doing. And it's disgusting. Stay away from Brooke, stay away from them both, I mean it." Peyton told him strictly.

"Peyton-"

She cut him off again. "If you don't, I'll tell Nathan."

_I got your love letters_

_I threw them all away_

_And I hear you think that I'm crazy_

_I'm driving 95_

_And I'm driving you away_

_I shine a little more lately…_

Lucas knew better then to negotiate with Peyton with she was angry. Walking out of the bathroom he tossed the phone back to Haley.

Haley caught the phone with Grace. "Everything ok?" She asked Lucas.

"Fine." He told her. "I'm taking a shower."

Haley watched Lucas disappear back into the bathroom before putting the phone to her ear. "We'll see you then." She told Peyton with a smile and hung up the phone. Walking over to the bathroom she knocked on the door. "Everything ok with Brooke?" Haley asked concerned.

"Brookes fine." Lucas told her.

_Someday love will find me in the rough_

_Someday love will finally be enough_

_Someday love will find me in the rough_

_Someday love will finally be enough_

Brooke walked out of the bathroom ringing the water out of her hair into a towel. "So?" She asked Peyton.

Peyton smiled nervously, starting to reconsider what she had just done. "She said she would be happy to. She'll meet us there in an hour."

Brooke nodded with a smile. "Alright."

As the two girls got ready, the small knot it Peyton's stomach grew. Having serious doubts, she pandered the idea of telling Brooke what she had done, but quickly decided against it. Today was Brooke's wedding day and she was going to be happy. She was going to be happy whether Lucas had listened to her warning and chose to stay away. She was going to be happy whether Lucas disobeyed Peyton's warning and came anyway. She was going to be happy. That was going to be Peyton's mission for the day, and she would do whatever it took, even if it killed her. _This should be interesting_. Peyton thought. _Liars are deceitful. Lovers are Unfaithful. & Best friends will Betray you. _Talk about dark poetry.

"Ready?" Brooke called to Peyton, who was in the bathroom brushing her teeth.

"Ready." Peyton answered, walking out to the bathroom. Noticing Brookes apparel, she laughed. "What are you wearing?"

Brooke spun around in her pink sweats. On the back of the pinks jacket, in black writing, it read: _Skanky Bride._ Peyton laughed. Brooke tossed Peyton her own pair of black sweats. Peyton flipped over the jacket and read the pink writing on the back. _Slutty Made Of Honor_.

"Put it on!" Brooke smiled.

Peyton laughed. "Be right out." She said heading back into the bathroom. Peyton stepped out of the bathroom in her sweats. "Ready to go get married?"

Brooke smiled. "Yeah, you know what? I am."

_I shine a little more lately…_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Eight – Good Bye Brooke, Hello New Opportunities**

Soft music played as Lucas helped you younger brother greet the wedding guests. After directing a few of guest to which side of the chapel they should sit out he saw Brooke's powder blue BMW drive by. He knew Brooke was in the back room, but why Peyton was driving Brooke's car, he wasn't sure. Probably for a quick coffee run, or some other meaningless errand like that. Not wanting Peyton to see him, until the last possible minute before the wedding.

"I need to take a piss." He told his younger brother, Nathan. Smiling at a few guests he recognized, he made with way through the crowds of guests and to the Gentlemen's restroom. Just as he was about to pull open the door, Haley walked out of the Ladies room.

Haley smiled at her friends. "Hey handsome, sneaking off already?"

For a minute Lucas wondered if Haley knew about him and Brooke. But quickly knew that she didn't. She looked more nervous about having to stand up in front of all these people while the man she loved married another woman. Not pissed off at Lucas for sleeping with the "other woman" behind the man she love's back.

"As if that wasn't what you were just doing in there." Lucas chuckled. "If you can do it, so can I."

Haley smiled and shook her head. "Actually I was changing my tampon." Reaching in her purse she pulled another one out. "Need to borrow one."

"Actually, I do." Lucas laughed. "Who knows, it might come in handy when I'm in there masturbating."

"Nice." Haley pretended to gag. "Real nice." Haley put the tampon back in her purse and looked around. Taking in her surroundings, she sighed.

"You okay?" Lucas asked concerned.

"He's really going to do it." Haley sighed heavily. "He's really going to marry her…" Her voice trailed off, as fought back her tears.

"Tell me about it." Lucas pulled Haley back into a hug and kissed her forehead. Haley hugged him back. She thought she could deal with this, but she feared this was a battle she was about to loose.

"God, I'm pathetic." Haley sighed pushing away from Lucas. Looking up at him she smiled and whipped away a stray tear. "I'm sorry. I know this must be hard for you too."

"Not really." Lucas rolled his eyes brushing off the comment. "Me and Brooke have been over for along time. We're just friends."

Haley nodded and smiled. "I wish it was the way it is with you and Brooke with me and Nate." She sighed resting her head against Lucas chest.

Brooke Davis frantically checked her appearance in the vanity mirror, making sure her hair was fine, her make-up hadn't smeared, and that her dress was on her correctly. Amy, one of her bridesmaids, and Nathan's friends' girlfriend had come down with the flu and canceled last minute. Luckily Haley wore about the same size as Amy in formal dresses, so Peyton volunteered to drive over the Amy's house and pick up the dress for Haley to change into.

Where the hell is she? Brooke asked herself just as Peyton ran in through the door with Haley's new bridesmaid dress in hand. "Thank god!" Brooke exclaimed.

Peyton smiled. She could tell her friend was nervous. "Where's Haley?"

"Oh my god!" Brooke spun around the room looking for her. "I don't know." She said giving up on spinning, it was making her dizzy and her head hurt.

Peyton grabbed Brooke's arm reassuringly. "I'll go find her. It's going to be just fine, Brooke. Calm down.

Brooke nodded trying to catch her breath. "I think I'm going to go sit down."

Peyton laughed. "Alright. You go do that and I'll get Miss James." Peyton watched her friend sit down in the small arm chair across the room before going off the find Haley. Searching through the chapel, which was already filled with at least one hundred forty-five of the two hundred invited guests. Just in the nick of time, she spotted Haley across the room, near the Ladies restroom. _Perfect, I'll just pull her in the bathroom with me, change her real quick, and we'll go back to Brooke together._ Peyton thought. _Wait a minute? Who is that she's with? Lucas Scott! God, why doesn't he ever listen?_ Peyton didn't have time to argue with Lucas for being there, or she would, instead she just rushed over to the two.

Peyton practically ran to Haley.

Haley was startled by her friend approach. "Oh my god, Peyton! Why did you run over here?"

"No time to explain. Come on." She said between breaths. "We have to change you and get you to Brooke. Like now." Peyton acknowledged Lucas' presence. "I'll speak with you later." She warned him. "Don't pull anything stupid, you got me?"

"But-"

"No time." Peyton told her. "We have to make like Michael Jackson and beat it, before Brooke bites our heads off"

Haley shrugged at Lucas and mouthed the words 'thank you' to him as she let Peyton pull her back into the bathroom. Peyton waited outside of the stall as Haley changed dresses. Throwing the dress she wasn't wearing over the stall to Peyton, she unlocked the door and stepped out. The dress looked amazing on her. It was a dark auburn like Peyton's, Theresa's, and Bevin's but for some reason it looked breath taking on Haley. But the girls didn't time to gock over how beautiful the other one looked. They quickly made their war out of the bathroom, past a worried Lucas, and on their way back to Brooke.

Brooke was back on her feet when Peyton entered followed by Haley.

"Wow, you two look great." Brooke exclaimed pulling Peyton and Haley into a tight hug. The girls returned the hug a little less enthusiastically.

"Me?" Haley laughed. "My god, Brooke look at you!" she exclaimed.

"I know, huh?" Brooke smiled and spun around. "Thanks."

"Who is it" Haley asked Brooke about the designer of the dress.

"Mine." Brooke smiled sheepishly. "I designed it."

Haley's eyes widened. "Amazing!"

Bevin walked up to the three babbling girls. "They're getting read to start!" she exclaimed.

The girls lined up in a row. Jenny was first, as flower girl. Behind her was Peyton, Haley, Bevin and Theresa, the bridesmaids. And last, but certainly not least was Brooke Davis, soon-to-be Brooke Scott, the bride.

As Theresa stepped into place next to Bevin, the music was quid and Brooke walked out. Every guest in that chapel turned to watch the gorgeous bride. Except Lucas Scott, that is, he kept his gaze straight forward. Peyton was the only one who seemed to notice, where Lucas' gaze was. She wasn't quite sure if it was because he didn't care, or if he just couldn't stand to look at her, as if the thought of finally loosing her was too much. Either way Peyton didn't care. But what Peyton didn't know, was the Lucas was watching. He watched as the beautiful bride made her way down the isle, smiling at his brother.

The priest turned his gaze from Nathan to Brooke. "And now, Brooke, please repeat after me; I Haley, take you Nathan.

Brooke smiled. "I Brooke Penelope Davis, take you Nathan Daniel Scott. To have and to hold, from this day forward. In sickness and in health. For richer or poorer. For better or worse. I promise that I will love and cherish you and will deny all those that would come between us. I make this promise for eternity. I promise that I will keep forever. Until the end of time. Till death do us part."

The priest smiled. "I now declare you man and wife." He turned his attention to Nathan. "You may, now, kiss your bride.

Brooke smiled happily. Nathan leaned in, and for once, when Brooke kissed Nathan, she was thinking about Nathan…

But what Brooke didn't notice was her bridesmaids. Peyton sighed and smiled. She was happy for her friend, she really was, but in the pit of her stomach, she ached. She was worried. Worried that this love story wouldn't have a happy ending. Worried that Brooke would stray away from Nathan again. Worried the Nathan would find out. Peyton turned towards her Haley whipped away a tear. Most would think it was a tear of joy, but Lucas new different. It was a tear of sadness. A tear of loss. A tear they both shared. That's when he knew it was over. "Good Bye Brooke." Lucas muttered under his breath. Trying not to pity himself, he turned his attention to Haley and smiled. She smiled back. _Hello Miss James_. He thought.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Nine – Reminiscing In A Past That Never Existed**

_My eyes hurt as I glared at the screen. Rubbing my eyes with my hand, I reached across the desk and turned on the stereo. I flipped through the channels nonchalantly until I recognize a song. An old Chris Keller song blasted from the speakers as I turned up the volume_

_Hello Miss... I'm sorry I didn't catch the rest_

_When it comes to women, baby, you know I'm not the best _

_Everyone I see makes it matter less anymore_

_Then again I've never felt this way before_

_Blowing the blonde bangs that had strayed onto my face, I sang along. _

_And girl I don't know you so I walked away_

_Just goes to show you I should have got a name_

_To go with a face that I'll never forget_

_Deep in my heart I'll always regret_

_Not getting your name _

_Saving the work I had just finished, I turned off the screen, and slowly backed away from the computer. Sitting down on my bed, I bent forward and grabbed a white photo album from under my bed, careful not to put too much weight on my stomach._

_Well I tried to be cool but your smile took me out_

_I tried to be slick but I was just a fool standin around_

_I hope this is the first song that your heart has ever really heard_

_Cause I wrote the music, baby you wrote the words_

_I rolled onto my back and put a hand onto my stomach. "Let's look at some pictures." I told the unborn baby in my stomach. As I flipped through the pages of old photographs when I was still a baby, I paused on a photo of my father, me, and his ex girlfriend. I ran my fingers across the woman in the photographs face and smiled. God, did I miss her. Moving on and flipping through the pages I laughed at all of the pictures my father had collected for me, and put into this album before he died. _

_I shouldn't have let ya' if I hadn't of met ya'_

_Do this on the day I'm leaving_

_But now that you got me your everything baby_

_I haven't stopped believing, no no _

_Not getting your name _

_The Polaroid of a beautiful red head blowing a kiss to the camera made me laugh. Under the photo there was a caption. "Rachel Gattina." I read out load. I sighed with a laugh. It had been along time since I had seen that name. _

_I'm looking for forever always_

_In the sky and on the bi-ways_

_I don't care how I look to the rest_

_Next to the photo was another Polaroid of a young man and a young woman flashing the camera. You couldn't see their faces but the names were under the picture again. Nathan Scott and Peyton Sawyer. I couldn't help but laugh. She remembered them fondly also. I took the time to glance at one more photograph before closing the white photo album and placing it back under my bed._

_I'll walk away and pretend my thoughts are over_

_Man, what would it be like if I was some kind of Casanova_

_Romeo even knew he had the touch_

_I'm no star crossed lover, baby just plain in love_

_It was of my old friend. Nathan and Brooke Scott. They were at their wedding, which had taken place a good ten years ago – maybe more – with the bridesmaids and the groomsmen. Whipping a tear away I placed the photo album back where it once had sat for so long before. If only she was with them now… she did miss them all dearly…_

_And baby it's true that it could be you_

_I'm thinking about while I'm singing_

_And if you can help being all by yourself_

_Make my phone start ringing_

_Not getting your name_

_Sitting back up, I made my way back to the computer and turned back on the screen… "Can best friends turn into something more?"_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Ten – You Say Potato, I Say Patato **

_(Dedicated to Nicole Speziale aka Brooke Davis aka Skank! The bestest friend a girl could ask for!)_

Haley James watched herself brush her hair in her vanity mirror. She had plans to go to out to dinner and then to a movie with Lucas. It had been almost two weeks since the wedding, and her and Lucas had been hanging out almost everyday. Which was nice, because they were able to catch up on the lost time. But something was bothering her. In the pit of her stomach there was a sneaking suspicion that Lucas was starting to like her a little more then as just friends. Haley wasn't sure about how she felt about Lucas, let alone how she felt about him liking her. She knew she liked him as a best friend, hell she loved him as a best friend, but anymore more? She just wasn't sure. Hearing Lucas' knock on the front door of her apartment in Charleston, she quickly reapplied her lip gloss and ran to the door.

"Hey!" She smiled.

"You ready to go?" Lucas asked with a smiled.

Haley moved out of the way so he could come in. "Yeah. Just let me grab my purse." Jogging back to her room she grabbed her purse off of her bed and slipped it on. Checking her appearance in the mirror one last time, she met Lucas at the front door and they left.

Four hours later Haley and Lucas walked out of the Charleston Cineplex laughing. "I can't believe she called the cops on her!" Haley choked out between laughs.

Lucas laughed. "I know! _'Now Miss, just sit down. These nice gentlemen are going to talk to you about the girl you locked in your closet.'_" Lucas quoted from the movie.

Haley snorted. _What? She's grounded! That's where she goes when she's grounded._"

"_But miss you have to feed her, and let her out of the closet once in a while!_"

"_You're crazy! You don't know what you're talking about!_"

"_I'm crazy? You're the one who locks other people's children in the closet!_" Both Haley and Lucas said in unison.

They burst out in another fit of laughter.

Haley put her hand on her stomach. "I'm so buying that on DVD when it comes out."

"Hell yes!" Lucas laughed. "Me two."

"Well it's settled then." Haley said clasping her hands together shivering. It felt as if the temperature had dropped at least 20 degrees from once they had first entered the movie theater to now.

"You cold?" Lucas asked her, slipping off his jacket.

"No, it's fine." Haley began to protest but it was too late, Lucas had already put his jacket over her shoulders.

"Haley, I've known you forever. So, stop acting like I have cooties, or something and put on the damn jacket."

"Alright. Alright." Haley laughed putting her arms into the arms of the jacket. "Thanks."

She had had a pretty good time with Lucas that evening. Nothing awkward about it, just two friends having dinner and catching a movie afterwards, right? Wrong. Haley had been cool for most of the night; Lucas was treating her more like a little sister then anything. But when the got to the movies and took their seats, Lucas smoothly put his arm around Haley's shoulders. Thoughts of worry bombarded her mind. She didn't want Lucas to think this was a date, but then again she didn't want him to think it wasn't one either. Haley wondered if she was over reacting. Maybe Lucas was just acting like a friend, that that's where his arm felt comfortable. _Okay, how lame did that just sound?_ Haley thought.

Haley's thoughts were broken by the sound of her cell phone. She quickly checked the caller ID before answering. Peyton Sawyer. "Hey Peyt, what's up?"

"Hey Hales." Peyton practically screamed into the phone. "I have the perfect idea. What are you doing?"

"I just got out of a movie with Lucas." Haley thought she heard Peyton murmur some obscene swear word on the other end of the line, but wasn't sure. There was a lot of static on Peyton's end of the line and Haley could here music and a crowd cheering. _Probably at one of Chris' concerts_. Haley thought. "What's the idea?"

"Brooke and Nathan are coming back to Tree Hill in two days–you know what? Hold on." Peyton told Haley.

Lucas nodded towards the phone. "Who is it?" He asked his friend. Haley put her hand over the receiver of the phone.

"It's Peyton. I think she's at one of Chris' concerts." Haley pretended to gag.

"What does she want?" Lucas asked not really interested. He and Peyton had drifted a part over the last five years, and now that she knew about him and Brooke, he decided it was best to keep his distance from that particular blonde.

Haley shrugged. "She has some great idea. She put me on hold though-" Haley was cut off by the sound of Peyton's voice on the other end.

Peyton had walked out side from backstage. As much as she loved watching her boyfriend play live, she had scene the set before, and could due to miss a few minutes of a song. It was much quieter outside of the sold out stadium. "Ok. I'm back. You still there?"

"Yeah. Go ahead." Haley said refocusing. "What's up?"

"Ok. You know Brooke and Nathan are coming back from the honeymoon in two days, right?"

"Right…"

"Well, I was thinking we could throw them a surprise party. I already talked to Rachel and Jake and they are willing to help, and I thought you might like to lend in a hand. I know you and Mrs. Scott's–how great is that? Mrs. Scott! Anyways–relationship has been rocky for a while, but I also know you two are trying to work it out. And what better way to do so, by throwing her a welcome home party?"

Haley thought about it for a minute. Lucas mad a funny face at Haley, and she playfully pushed him. "Stop it." She mouthed to him with a laugh. "Yeah. Sounds fine to me."

"Awesome!" Peyton exclaimed. "We're starting preparations right away since we have such little time to get everything together. I've already called the Party Shop and ordered a whole bunch of crap. I bought so much random junk they actually gave me a discount. So luckily I only have to pay, like, half price. And tomorrow I'm going to the invitation store on the corner of West and Main. Jake and Rachel already volunteered to write out the invitations and put together a guest list. I was thinking me, you could spilt up the invites and deliver them personally. Rachel and Jake would help but they have Jenny. Anyways, Jake, Rach, and Jenny are here now. Well, not here here, but they're back at my place. Last time I talked to them they were putting together some stuff, like photos of them from as far back as junior high and as recent as the wedding. Well, actually, Jenny is playing with Barbie dolls in the spare bedroom, but Jake and Rach are hard at work. And I was thinking, because you live in River City–which is, like, twenty minutes from my place in Charleston–that you could stop by and help out. You guys won't be there with out me long, I'll be here with Chris an hour more at the most and then we'll be back at home. I'll even have the driver stop Pete's Pizza and spring for pizza and beer. So you in?" Peyton took a deep breath and laughed. "Sorry, got a little over excited there."

"It's fine. Being a little spastic about something isn't so bad if it's for a good cause, right?" Haley laughed. "Look, I'm fine with coming over and helping you guys, but right now I'm out with Luke. We actually heading back to my place, and were going to watch some bad reality TV show reruns." Haley put her hand over the receiver. "We're going over to Peyton's." She told Lucas. Lucas pretended to gag. Haley smacked his arm playfully. "We could come over to your place and help out though, that is if you don't mind this loser I know named Lucas, tagging along."

Lucas' eyes widened and his mouth hung open. "I'm shocked. I can't believe you, my best friend, Miss Haley James, just called me, the hottest male specimen alive, a loser!"

Haley laughed. "Well, I did. So deal. Got it, Scott?" Lucas rolled his eyes. "So we'll be there in a half an hour, ok?" Haley asked Peyton.

Peyton dragged her feet as she walked around in circles outside. She really didn't want Lucas there, but she knew if she told Haley no, then she would cancel out on the night and wouldn't come over till the next day. "Fine. I'll see you guys when me and Chris get home." Peyton hung up the phone.

Haley hung up her phone and put it back in her purse. "We're going over to Peyton's." Haley informed Lucas. "She's organizing a surprise welcome back party for Nate and Brooke. Jake, Rach, and Jenny are over at Peyton and Chris' mansion right now–emphasis on the mansion part." Haley laughed.

Lucas checked his watch. "Hales, it's already-" Lucas started to complain, but Haley cut him off.

"Look, I don't know what stick you and Peyton have got wedged up each others asses lately, and I really could careless. But it's for Nathan and Brooke, we're they're friends now whether we like it or not and we're going." Lucas shot her a look of disagreement. "And don't give me that face, Lucas. If you keep doing it long enough your face will get stuck like that and we wouldn't want 'the hottest male specimen alive', now would we?"

Lucas couldn't help but laugh. "Well, if I have to…"

"You have to." Haley demanded.

"Fine." Lucas sighed.

"Fine is right." Haley laughed and smacked his butt. "Let's get back to the piece of crap you call your car."

Lucas pretended the be hurt. "Not the car Hales, not the car. The car is a classic."

"You say potato I say patato." Haley laughed. "You say classic, I say junk yard turndown. Same difference."

Lucas laughed and draped his arm over Haley's shoulders. "I better not regret this, Haley, or I swear on my 'hottest male specimen alive' life, you will live to regret it."

"Peyton's bringing beer and pizza back with her and Chris when she leaves the concert." Haley informed Lucas matter-of-factly. "So it won't suck totally.

"Maybe it won't be all that bad and _suck totally_." Lucas smiled. "We could always just get drunk."

Haley laughed and put her arm around Lucas' waist. "Lets go get drunk!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Eleven – A Naked Honeymoon**

_(Dedicated to Miss Justine Lopez aka Haley James Scott aka Haley Bop! Just because she rocks that much! & Because we're so damn black with our bling bling it's scary!)_

Brooke awoke next to Nathan with a smile. Looking up at Nathan, who was already awake, she laughed. "What are you doing?"

"Watching you sleep." Nathan informed her with a smiled.

Brooke raised an eyebrow and smile. Scooting up just enough to reach Nathan's face, she kissed him. "Much better." Scooting back down into a laying position she yawned. "I'm hungry."

"Is that so?" Nathan asked and kissed her again. "And what do you want me to do about it?"

"Not much." Brooke smiled. "Just put on some clothes, order us some room service, and go down stairs and get me some Starbucks." She told him matter-of-factly. It was their last day on the beach and she wanted to make it a good one.

"You can't be serious." Nathan laughed.

"Only half serious. You don't have to put the clothes on." Brooke said with an over dramatic wink.

"Babe, I really don't want to leave this bed right now, let alone the room." Nathan complained with a laugh.

"I know, babe, I really do." Brooke smiled. "And I hate to see you leave, but I love to watch you go." Brooke laughed pushing Nathan out of the bed.

"Brooke!" Nathan laughed, quickly reached for a loose sheet to wrap around his waist.

"Oh quit being such a baby." She laughed. "Besides its nothing I haven't already seen."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "You know what? You're right." He smiled and dropped the sheet. "I'll be right back."

Brooke's eyes widened. "Where are you going?"

Nathan turned around. "To go get you your Starbucks. I figured you could order the breakfast while I was gone, so it would be here by the time I got back." Nathan told her holding back a laugh.

"Like that?" Brooke asked concerned.

Nathan smiled. "Well you said the clothes part was optional."

"But…" Brooke started to protest.

Nathan turned back in his original position and walked towards the front door of the honeymoon sweet they had rented for their two week stay in the Bahamas. "I'll be right back."

Brooke wrapped the sheet Nathan had dropped around herself, and ran after him. "Wait!"

"What?" Nathan laughed.

Brooke opened up the sheet and wrapped it around both of them. "You don't have to go."

Nathan laughed. "But you want your coffee and room service, and you complained about me covering myself so I'm going naked and-"

Brooke cut him off with a kiss. "I just don't want you to get a cold on our last day here."

"Thanks for the concern." Nathan laughed and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Does this mean you're coming with me?" Brooke opened her mouth to say something, but Nathan cut her off. "Because there is no way, I'm going out of this room in nothing but a sheet alone."

"We're not going." Brooke smiled.

"We're not?" Nathan laughed. "But what about you're coffee?"

"It can wait." Brooke said with a kiss.

"What about room service?" Nathan kissed her back.

"It can wait." Brooke smiled.

"Well, I don't need to ask about the clothes part. We got that covered." He said looking down at the sheet.

Brooke laughed. "Exactly."

"On second thought." Nathan said picking up Brooke. "It is our last day here. Might as well go out with a bang."

Brooke's eyes widened as Nathan carried her towards the door. "Nathan! What are you doing?"

"Going to go get breakfast." He said opening up the door with one hand and kicked it shut.

_Cause it's you and me and all of the people _

_With nothing to do, nothing to prove _

_And it's you and me and all of the people and _

_I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off you… _

Brooke screamed. "Nathan! Put me down, right now!" She laughed. "What if someone sees us?"

"I'm hoping they do!" Nathan laughed.

"They'll call the cops!" Brooke laughed. "We'll spend our last day here in a local county jail cell, Nathan."

"I am Nathan Scott, point guard of the North Carolina Bobcat's. I have nothing to worry about. You on the other hand…you're family. So you'll be covered too."

"Nathan!" Brooke laughed. "Seriously." Let's go back to the room!"

Nathan sighed pretending to be disappointed. "Fine." He said turning around. As they made their way down the hall to their room, Nathan could hardly wait for someone to walk out of their room and see them, but no one did. Nathan tried to turn the door knob to their bedroom, but it was locked. He set down Brooke, who kept close to Nathan to make sure none of their body parts were showing.

"It's locked." Nathan said fidgeting with the doorknob.

"Quit playing around Nathan." Brooke said scooting him out of the way and trying to open the door herself. It was locked. "Oh my god, Nathan!"

Nathan laughed nonchalantly. "No big deal."

"No big deal?" Brooke screamed, but quickly lowered her voice, not wanting to draw any more attention to herself and Nathan then what there already was. "No big deal? Maybe you're not catching the gravity of our situation here–correction–problem. You and me are locked out of our room. Scratch that. You and me are locked out of our honeymoon suit–naked. Naked, Nathan."

"I heard you the fist time." Nathan laughed still not seeming to show much worry to the whole problem. "We'll just use the person, in the room next to ours, phone and call the front desk. They'll come bring us a spare key."

"Go to the neighbor's room?" Brooke asked franticly. "We're only wearing a thin sheet of fabric. The same thin sheet of fabric if covering both of our bodies, and I for one am not so enthusiastic about the whole idea, so standing her practically naked, waiting for some weird guy who works at the front desk to stare at my tits for a good ten minutes before letting us in."

"Fine." Nathan rolled his eyes. "I'll tell them to send a girl with the key. Would that be better for you?"

"Great. So she can stare at your crotch? I don't think so."

"Well honey, I don't think any heshe's work at the front desk. So I'll tell you what, I'll volunteer myself to the herds and have them send a woman. Okay?"

Brooke frowned. "Fine. I'll wait here." Nathan laughed a gestured towards the sheet. "I guess we're both going, huh?" Brooke laughed.

"Nah. I have a key." Nathan admitted. Taking the hand he had put around Brooke's waist to keep her close to him, just incase anyone did come out of their room; he opened his hand and in his palm sat a key.

Brooke grabbed the key out of his hand and smacked his arm playfully. "Nathan Daniel Scott! I swear to god!" Brooke laughed and grabbed his chin. "Don't you even do that to me again, you understand me?"

Nathan laughed. "But the look on your face was priceless. _Priceless_. I wish I had had the camera!"

Brooke rolled her eyes and opened the door. Once they were safely in the room and out of the view of complete strangers Brooke pulled herself out of the sheet.

"Where you going?" Nathan asked.

"Back to bed. I want to wake up again. This time a little less naked locked outside of the room."

Nathan grabbed her hand. "I love you."

"You're so lucky I love you too." Brooke smiled.

"Oh, am I?" Nathan asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, because if I didn't after I grabbed that key out of your hand I would have left you out there." Brooke told him.

"Oh really now?"

Brooke nodded. "And I would have taken the sheet with me."

Nathan laughed. "Fair enough." He said releasing her arm. "Go back to bed."

"I am. I just have to get one thing first." Brooke laughed. Nathan gave her a look of confusion. "My husband." She answered him with a kiss.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Twelve – Collide**

_When I came here there was more._

_Now I've come back to destroy,_

_And I've got nothing left_

_And it's a shame what we've become,_

_When we hurt the ones we love,_

_And it's a place I can not go,_

_Anymore…_

Rachel woke up early the morning of the surprise party. But sadly, not by her own choice. Peyton had called at eight am wanting her and Jake to be over at her house by ten to help set up. Rachel was all up for the idea of throwing the party, but not the part of waking up at the butt crack of dawn. It wasn't even so much the waking up at the butt crack of dawn part, it was the getting Jenny up, bathed, clothed, and into the car, part. As much as Jenny was lovable, Rachel had come to know over the past year of living with her that she could be just as evil. Maybe even a little more evil then nice. And on top of all that Jenny frankly wasn't Brooke's biggest fan. In her eyes, Nathan and she were meant to be together forever, and Brooke was the only reason preventing that. So much for a happy ending in the whole scenario. Infact the only good thing, in Rachel's point of view, about this whole extravagant surprise party was that Peyton had offered and hired a baby sitter for Jenny, so that Rachel and Jake could have an afternoon off for just the two of them after the party.

_When we collide we lose ourselves._

_When we collide we break in two,_

_And as we push and we shove and we hurt the ones we love,_

_It's a hard mistake._

_When we collide,_

_We break…_

So for the last two hours Rachel had been hanging streamers, blowing up balloons, helping Peyton hand the "Welcome Home Mr. and Mrs. Scott" banner from the kitchen ceiling. Everyone who had RSVP'd was present, including a few that hadn't, Jenny was with the sitter, and Jake had left an hour ago to pick up Nathan and Brooke from the airport. Rachel checked her watch. 4:00 pm. They should be there any minute.

"Hey curls." Across the room Chris pulled Peyton aside. "Jake just called. He said he was pulling on to the street."

"Thanks for telling me." Peyton laughed nervously then turned towards her invited guests. "Ok everyone! Jake just called. He's pulling up onto the street, so get down!" Peyton said loud enough for everyone to hear her. "And remember people, this is a surprise party. So yell 'surprise' when they walk in. Got it?" Peyton turned her attention to Rachel. "Do me a favor and get the lights, Rach. Thanks."

Rachel walked over and shut off the lights and hid with everyone else. The front door opened and Jake walked in first. "I know she in here somewhere." He told Nathan and Brooke. "She was here when I left." Brooke walked in next, closely followed by Nathan.

Jake turned on the lights and everyone jumped up out of their hiding spots. "Surprise!" They all called. Nathan laughed.

Brooke squeezed Nathan's hand and smiled. "Awe, you guys!" She laughed.

Peyton and Rachel rushed over to Brooke and Nathan to greet them. Mean while, in the very back of the crowd Lucas kept his distance and with him, so did Haley. She kept telling herself that she was just sticking back there with Lucas because she sympathized with his situation. But in all reality, his situation was hers. Except hers involved wedding rings.

_When the cold comes crashing down,_

_And the fight lost what it's about._

_I could tell that you'd left._

_It's a shame what we've become,_

_When we hurt the ones we love._

_It's a place I can not go,_

_Anymore…_

There were drinks, food and games. Everyone was having a good time, except Lucas. The party had been going on for the last three hours and he had stuck through most of it, pretending to be happy for Nathan and Brooke, but secretly was displeased. He had wanted to be the man she was walking down the isle to. Not the best man of the man. _But then there's Haley…_ Lucas sighed. The only reason Lucas had lasted so long in that house with all those people there to congratulate Nathan and Brooke, was because of Haley. She had stuck by his side for the most part of the evening, except once when she went to the restroom. But even then she was back before Lucas hardly noticed her gone. But when Brooke pulled Haley away from Lucas to join in with her and a group of girls, Lucas made his way out of Peyton's house, through the backdoor and out onto the beach.

It was already getting dark outside and Lucas secretly hoped that the party would end soon so he wouldn't have to make up some lame excuse as to why he had to cut out early, let alone just bail completely with no explanation. Deciding he would just sit there on the beach for a while then rejoin the party, Lucas leaned back onto his elbows and watched the ocean. He watched as the turquoise water crashed against the sharp edges of the rocks just a little off shore. Too caught up in the waves and his own thought he hardly noticed Haley walk up behind him and sit down next to him an hour later.

"Hey wannabe emo." Haley smiled tucking her legs underneath herself.

"Hey wannabe rock star." Lucas smiled.

"No. That would be Chris." Haley laughed. "I'm just a wannabe. Period."

Lucas turned to face Haley. "What makes you say that?"

"I don't know." Haley sighed. "I mean, who am I kidding here? I don't belong in this world with you guys. I belong at home, alone, playing my guitar and working at the Hot Dog on a Stick on the corner of 5th and Main. I don't belong here, not anymore."

"Haley, we may have not hung out as much over the past couple years, but I know damn well you don't work at Hot Dog on a Stick."

"I know, but that's not the point." She laughed. "The point is I don't belong here. The only real reason I did before was because of Nathan and you." She confessed. "Now, Nathan's remarried to Brooke which still confuses the hell out of one Haley James former Scott." Haley laughed.

Lucas laughed. "And me?"

_When we collide we lose ourselves._

_When we collide we break in two…_

"You…you…I don't know about you, Lucas?" Haley sighed with a smile. "Don't get me wrong these last few months with you have been amazing. And for the past couple weeks, I got my best friend back. But we both know that isn't going to last forever. You'll get caught up with Nathan and Brooke and their whole marriage life drama crap they've got going on, and me…me…well, I'll get caught up in my work and my job, and before you know it we'll drift apart again."

"How do you know?" Lucas asked sitting up. "How do you know that this wasn't how it was meant to be? That you weren't supposed to get that pity invite? That I wasn't supposed to invite you as my date? How do you know this isn't exactly how it was meant to happen? We don't have to drift apart again."

"I don't know, Lucas. I don't know what to say. Things don't just come this easy. All my problems can't be solved in a blink of an eye." Haley sighed.

"How about in a kiss?" Lucas asked.

It took Haley a minute to catch on to what he had just said. "What?"

Lucas leaned forward and kissed Haley and she didn't exactly push him away. A million thoughts ran through her head at that moment, during the kiss. _Oh! I knew he wanted him!_ Was the first one that stood out clearly. _What the hell am I doing?_ Was the next. Haley gently pushed Lucas away.

_And as we push and we shove and we hurt the ones we love,_

_It's a hard mistake._

_When we collide,_

_When we collide…_

"What?" Lucas asked. "What's wrong?"

"Us." Haley sighed with a smile. "Us, Lucas. We're wrong." Haley pushed herself onto her feet and walked away with out another word.

Little did either Lucas or Haley know that some was watching them from afar.

_It's a hard mistake,_

_When we collide…_

Brooke Scott had taken herself, and her drink out on to the back porch for some air. Inside blared of music and hot, sweating bodies. Brooke could party with the best of them, but she need a little breather after hearing Dan talking to his girlfriend about some perverted, kinky, thing he was going to do to her in bed that night. Stepping outside and closing the sliding glass door behind her, she watched the water. A little further up the beach, near the shore line Brooke could see Lucas, and what looked to be Haley. _Yep, definitely Haley_. Brooke thought recognizing Haley's powder pink sundress. _What are they doing out there?_ Brooke thought. _Well, if I have to go back into that party, sure as hell, so do they. _Just as she was about to walk down to the shore and force them back into the party with her, she saw something she suspected they didn't want to be seen.

_Oh my god! Lucas kissed Tutor Girl!_ Brooke's brain was screaming. _Oh my god! He kissed her! Oh my god! Wait - how do I feel about this?_ Brooke didn't have a chance to pander that inner question any longer. Just as soon as the kiss happened Haley pushed Lucas away and was heading back to the house. _Oh! Diss! Tutor Girl blows off Lucas!_ Brooke laughed in her head deciding she liked Lucas and Haley better as not a couple. Brooke looked back into the party and opened the sliding glass door and walked in. Leaving it open for Haley, she made her way through the crowd to Peyton.

"I'm getting kind of exhausted!" She confessed. "I think I'm going to grab Nathan and head home, ok?" Brooke yelled over the blaring music.

Peyton nodded. "Alright!" Peyton yelled back. "I'll call you tomorrow!"

Brooke nodded and headed into the crowd to find her husband.

_It's a mistake,_

_When we collide we lose ourselves,_

_When we collide we break in two,_

_And as we push and we shove and we hurt the ones we love,_

_It's a hard mistake,_

_When we collide,_

_When we collide…_

_Did I leave this open?_ Haley thought as she walked up on to the back to the house taking notice to the open sliding glass door. _Oh, god. What are you going to do with yourself, James? _She asked herself. _Everything that was sacred between me and Lucas is now shattered, thanks to some stupid kiss. Some stupid kiss that I didn't even want in the first place. _Haley paused. Did she really regret the kiss? She looked out onto the beach to where Lucas was. _No. No I didn't. I love him. I've always loved him. _She told herself. _But am I ready to be more then just friends? _Haley sighed as she watched Lucas stand up and walk off the beach to his car. _What am I going to do?_

_It's a hard mistake,_

_When we collide, we break,_

We break…


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Thirteen – Everything Isn't Perfect In Paradise**

A week after the welcome back party, back in New York, a couple fought behind closed doors…

"Jenny. Go to your room and shut the door." Jake instructed his daughter.

"All you do is work, eat and sleep, Jake." Rachel complained. "You never even touch me anymore, let alone in public."

"Oh shut up, Rachel!" Jake shot back. "I touch you just fine."

"Whatever. I'm seriously starting to think you're still hung up on Peyton. The love of your life. Which is complete crap. She has moved on, Jake. That boat has left he harbor. You're boat on the other hand isn't even in the damn water. It's up on blocks in your garage. So what's the problem, Jake, why cant you?" Rachel asked angrily.

"You don't know what you're talk about." Jake informed her. "Me and Peyton have been over for the past four years, you're just too stupid to realize it." Jake stood up from the couch. "You know what? I think you do know that its over between me and Peyton. That it has been over. I think you just like to have that in handy for every time you pitch some stupid argument with me about some lame ass thing that doesn't even matter."

Back in her room, Jenny grabbed a small note book full of emergency phone numbers. Running her finger down the page she waited till she saw the right name and stopped. Nathan Scott. She ran her finger across from his name to where it said his phone number. She grabbed the phone off of her nightstand and punched in the number. After three rings Brooke answered the phone. "Hello?" She asked groggily. I was nearly ten a clock and her and Nathan had decided to go to bed early that evening.

Jenny paused, considering whether to talk or not.

"Hello?" Brooke asked again a little more awake.

"Hi…" Jenny finally said into the receiver. "Is Nathan there?"

"Who is this?" Brooke asked. "Jenny? Is that you?"

"Yeah…" Jenny answered. "Is Nathan there?"

"Hold on a sec, honey." Brooke told her. "I'll go get him for you.

Jenny could here mumbling on the other end of the line, but couldn't make anything out. A moment later Nathan's voice was on the phone. "Hey Jenny, what's up? Is something wrong?"

"Hold on." Jenny told Nathan. Running across her room she opened her bedroom door, where her father and Rachel's arguing became clearer. "Listen." She whispered to Nathan and held out the phone into the hall way so he could hear the couple arguing.

Nathan listened to his friends argue. Brooke sat up in bed next to her husband. "What's wrong?" She asked genuinely concerned. Nathan put up his hand telling her to hold on as he listened.

A few minutes later, Jenny pulled back the phone and shut her door. "What do I do?" She asked.

"Where are you?" Nathan asked.

"In my room." Jenny told him. "Daddy made me come back in here. Rachel and Daddy keep screaming."

"I know." Nathan sighed. "Go out into the living room and give your dad or Rachel the phone."

"Ok…" Jenny said. Nathan could hear Jenny's bare feet hit the hardwood floor in the hallway as she ran out into the living room. "Here." She said thrusting the phone to a crying Rachel. Giving her father a dirty look before running back to her room. Jake automatically felt bad.

"Hello?" Rachel sobbed into the phone.

"Hey Rach." Nathan said softly. "You ok?"

"Yeah." Rachel whipped away her tears with her free hand. "Did Jenny call you guys?"

"Yeah." Nathan sighed.

"Oh, she woke you guys up? I'm so sorry." Rachel apologized.

"It's fine." Nathan said. "What's going on?"

Brooke laid back down in her bed and waited for Nathan to hang up the phone. A few minutes later Nathan said good bye and hung up the phone.

"What's happening?" Brooke asked concerned.

"They're fighting again." Nathan sighed laying down. "I don't know what's up with them lately. That's all they seem to do. Fight."

"Tell me about it…" Brooke sighed.

"They need to work it out." Nathan said. "It's not fair to Jenny."

"It's late." Brooke said rolling over onto her stomach. "We'll call them again tomorrow."

Nathan Scott sighed. He really didn't want to be there, in his father's basement, cleaning out his the enormous amount of crap that had been collected there since Dinosaurs roamed the earth. Nathan chuckled to himself. _Dinosaurs_. Dumping out another box's contents onto the ground he sorted through his fathers collecting. The last few boxes had been filled of worthless basketball cards that were too damaged to sell and left over stuff from Dan's basketball days. But this box was a little more interesting. It was filled with mostly pictures. _Dan when he was a young boy with Uncle Keith. Dan and Karen. Dan, Deb and me. Me. Lucas. Dan and his girlfriend. Me and Lucas._ Pretty much photos that he had collected since the dawn of time.

As Nathan sorted the pictures into different piles, he came across a picture he didn't recognize. It was of Dan and a woman he had never scene in his twenty three years on this planet. The woman had blonde hair a little bit past her shoulders, blue eyes, and what looked to be a pretty good figure, accept for the pregnant stomach. Behind that picture was a picture of Dan and a baby girl wrapped in a pink blanket. And the new few were of just the baby girl. Nathan was confused, and curious, but decided to figure it out later and placed the photos of Dan, the mystery woman, and the baby under the pictures of Dan and Karen.

Not really paying much attention to the box itself Nathan continued sorting photos until each was in its on section and category. Picking up the box that he had place behind him while sorting through its contents, he almost didn't notice the one thing that hang clung to the bottom of the box. As Nathan put his hand in the box to set the first pile of photographs he noticed a pink baby blanket at the bottom of the box. "What the hell?" He muttered to himself setting the pile of photos down and taking the pink blanket out of the box. In the bottom right corner of the blanket, Nathan noticed, it was engraved with a name. Alexis Nash. Nathan grabbed the photos of Dan, the mystery woman, and the baby and put them into his back pocket. Quickly placing the remaining photos back into the box in their respective piles, he had just finished shoving the blanket into his backpack when he heard foot steps on the stairs that led down to the basement.

"How are things coming, son?" Dan asked jogging down the stairs to his basement. "Find anything interesting?" Dan chuckled to himself.

"Not really." Nathan lied zipping up his backpack and stood up. "Brooke just called. She needs me back at home. So I'll have to finish some other time, ok?" he lied again.

Dan nodded. "As long as it gets done."

"See ya later, Dad." Nathan walked past his father and up the steps and out of the dusty basement.

An hour later Nathan walked through the front door and was bombarded at the door by Brooke. "Try this." She instructed holding a spoon of god-only-knows-what in front of Nathan's face.

"If you're trying to poison me, you're going to have to do better then that." Nathan laughed. "Before I put anything in my mouth. I want to know what the hell that is."

Brooke sighed. "It's tomato sauce." She rolled her eyes. "Now are you going to be a brave little Scott and try it?"

Nathan pushed the spoon out of his face and walked past Brooke. "Later." He told her simply. "I have to do…something." He finished.

"Wait." Brooke chased after him. "I kind of need to know now."

"Brooke-" Nathan started to complain.

"I need to know if it tastes alright before I serve it to Dan and Bree." Brooke cut him off. "So just shut up, and try it." Brooke smiled and held out the spoon again.

"My dads coming over?" Nathan questioned.

Brooke nodded. "We invited them last week after the party, remember?"

"I don't-"

Brooke cut her husband off again. "Just try the damn sauce." She laughed.

Nathan rolled his eyes and tried the sauce. "Not bad." He smiled and gave her a quick kiss, before walking down the hall to the computer room. "Needs more salt." Nathan called back to her.

Brooke smiled heading back to the kitchen to finish the food. Nathan sat down in front of the computer and signed online pulling up a person search. Opening up his backpack he checked the name on the blanket again and typed it into the search registry. About a minute later, an address showed up on the screen.

Nicole A. Nash

2929 Candido Drive

Panama City Beach, Florida

32407

Nathan waited for the address to print, and then folded the sheet and shoved it in his back pocket. Not really paying much attention as he walked out of the room, he bumped into Bree.

"Oh, hey." He said awkwardly. "I didn't know you and my dad were already here."

"We're not." Bree smiled. "Just me."

"Nice..." Not feeling anymore comfortable standing that close to her once he realized what she was wearing. Bree had a very short, very low cut, very tight red dress on. Not exactly 'a nice dinner at your boyfriends son's house' material. Nathan took two steps and politely smiled. "I'm going to go see if Brooke, my wife, needs any help."

"Uh-huh." Bree nodded. "You do the right thing, sweetie. Try and resist." She took three steps forwards and leaned forward to kiss Nathan. Nathan dodged that bullet and quickly moved past his fathers girlfriend who happened to be lusting over him at the moment. As he walked away and to the kitchen he heard Bree call back to him. "You're father has to work, so he wont be joining us. Just you and me." She smiled.

"And Brooke." Nathan called back to her as he kept walking.

That night's dinner was interesting to say the least. Dan ended up showing up after all, an hour late, and the rest of the evening… well… what do you expect? It's a dinner with Dan Scott…nothing short of dramatic.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fourteen – The Rock Star and the Emo Call It Quits**

Peyton Sawyer walked around the backstage area of the arena and waited for Chris to come out of his trailer. He had been in there the past thirty minutes changing. She hadn't actually seen him go in there what Mary-Ann had pointed her in that direction and told her that he was in there. Peyton's patience was growing thin. Finally giving into temptation she banged on the door. "Hurry up, Keller! I want to go home!" Peyton herd some mumbling on the other end of the door. Peyton checked the knob of the door, and wasn't surprised to find it was unlocked. Chris had a problem with locking doors, always had and probably always would. It was cold outside, and Peyton had left her jacket in back at the hotel.

Opening the door, she stepped into the trailer. "Chris! I'm coming in." As she climbed up the steps and walked in Chris came from the back of the trailer pulling on his t-shirt.

"Hey." He said giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "What are you still doing here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I figured you would have taken the car back at home by now."

Peyton shrugged. "You have the keys."

"Oh, right." Chris dug his hand into his jeans pockets to find the keys. Finally finding them he pulled the keys out and tossed them to Peyton. "I'll meet you back at home."

"Why don't we just go together?" Peyton asked. "I mean, you're already dressed."

"No. I'm fine." Chris said not too convincingly. "I have some…stuff to do here."

Peyton raised an eyebrow. "Stuff?"

"Yeah." Chris said. "Stuff." He walked up to Peyton and kissed her cheek. "See you back at the hotel. Okay?"

"What kind of stuff?" Peyton asked again.

Chris was too busy scrambling for answer to notice the brunette girl that had been carefully hidden in the bathroom lean out from behind the door.

"Chrissy baby." She said. "Can you throw me my skirt?"

"I'm kind of busy here, April." Chris frowned.

The girl took notice to Peyton's presence in the room. "I'll hurry." With that she turned around grabbed her skirt off the ground, and quickly slipped it on. Planting a kiss on Chris' cheek. "Call me." She smiled at Peyton. "Later Goldie Locks."

"Peyton." Chris said turning his attention back to Peyton. "I can explain."

"Explain what?" She said opening the door and walking down the steps.

Chris followed closely behind her. "It's not what you think." He pleaded.

Peyton stopped and faced him. "How in the hell do you know what I think?" Chris opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it. "That's right! You don't!"

"Just let me explain." Chris begged.

"Explain what? Why there was a half naked girl in your trailer? Why you lied to me about why you needed to stay longer? Or how about, how long you've been doing this behind my back." Peyton asked pointing towards April who was half way across the parking lot. Tears formed in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. "Or maybe…maybe why…Why I wasn't good enough for you?" Peyton didn't wait for Chris to respond. "Its over. For good this time, Chris. I'm sick of this constant bull shit." Peyton sighed. "We're over." She said before turning and jogging to the car.

Peyton drove in a blind furry finally, tired, she pulled over in the parking lot of a 7 Eleven. Grabbing her phone out of her purse she pulled her cell phone out and dialed Brooke.

"Hey best friend." Brooke answered the phone before the first ring was over. "What's up?"

"Chris…" Peyton wiped away more tears angrily. Why _the hell am I crying? He's a looser_. "It's over."

"Oh my god! What happened?"

"April happened." Peyton rolled her eyes.

"Again?" Brooke asked concerned. With no answer from Peyton, Brooke continued. "So it's over for good, this time?"

"Try not to sound too sad." Peyton laughed sobbing.

"Are you crying?" Brooke asked. "He's a idiot! You know that P. Sawyer. I know that. Hell even he knows it."

"I know." Peyton sighed. "Fear no man, trust no bitch, right?"

"Exactly." Brooke laughed. "I've taught you well. So when are you moving into the guest house."

"What are you doing tomorrow?" Peyton laughed.

"Absolutely nothing. Nate is probably going to be out, again. So I'm totally free."

"Great. I'll meet you around tenish at my place, ok?"

"Is Chris going to be there?" Brooke asked concerned for her friend.

"If he knows what's good fro him, he wont be."

"Works for me." Brooke's phone beeped. "That's Nathan on the other end, are you going to be ok?"

"Just fine." Peyton sighed. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye."

Just as Peyton was about to put her phone back in her purse, it vibrated with a photo. Peyton checked who it was from and opened it.

The text read:

Hey Peyton,

Chris wanted me to let you know. Inquisitor just sent us the cover story of tomorrows issue and it…well…they have to send it to us before putting it on stands and…well here it is… I included the article under the picture. Sorry…

Under the text was a picture of the front of the popular magazine. The front page was a picture of Peyton and Chris that had been taken at a charity event with, in a heart, with a crack down the middle.

The headline read:

**THE ROCK STAR AND THE EMO CALL IT QUITS!**

Peyton looked at the picture and frowned. It wasn't exactly her most flattering one, but it would do. It wasn't really a surprise the tabloids were already making their own theories about this break up. Peyton scrolled down and read the article.

YOU HEAR IT FIRST!

We have just been informed that Chris Keller, 25, and Peyton Sawyer, 23, have called it quits, once again. This young, good looking pair has been on and off again for the past three years are officially off. That's right ladies, the sexy rock star is single once again. But what caused this displeasing break up? An inside source, who was a spectator of the break up says, "I'm not sure what happened. Me and my friend were just leaving the Chris Keller concert when we say them Chris and Peyton come out of his trailer arguing. She told him it was over for good this time." But when we asked about what lead to the spilt we got mixed answers from our source and her friends. Alcohol? Drugs? Sex? Lies? I guess its all apart of this rock and roll life style. What caused this split, we do not know for sure. Chris Keller's assistant, Mary Ann Thomson had this to say: "It's a terrible thing, they were so happy together. Chris is dealing with the split, and so is Peyton. They would appreciate the press to stay out of their personal lives." Oops! That means us! We'll keep you guys updated!

By Peggy Stevens

Peyton rolled her eyes and turned off her phone. She returned home to an empty apartment with a note from Chris.

_Peyton,_

_I'm staying at a hotel._

_Please call me._

_Chris_

Peyton crumbled up the note and threw it in the trash can. "Fuck off loser!" She said to Chris, even though he wasn't there.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Fifteen– Too Much Mac and Not Enough Cheese**

Brooke Scott was not in a good mood. She had just got off the phone with a very, agitated, short, Nathan Scott. She wasn't sure what had gotten his panties in such a bunch, but she knew that whatever it was, it was not going to ruin her evening. For the past week Nathan had been very illusive with her, and never seemed to be really there. Physically and psychotically. None the less, she had apparently caught him at a bad time when she called his cell phone. He had been at the library, again, searching something online, again. For the likes of her, Brooke couldn't figure out why he didn't just use the house computer. Maybe it was because they had dial-up and Tree Hill Library had Road Runner. Who knows! Brooke sighed with a smiled. She figured Nathan would just slip in the front door and sneak past her, like he always did so she would question him about what he was looking for. But not this time. Nope, not this time. This time Brooke had locked the dead bolt on the door so that way when Nathan came home, he would have to see her because she would have to unlock the door for him to get it! It was genius! As Brooke sat reveling in her mischievous thoughts she didn't notice the back door open and Nathan walk in.

"Hey Brooke." Nathan said shaking Brooke out of her thoughts.

Brooke practically jumped out of her socks. "Oh my god!" Brooke sighed with a smile. "Why are you coming in from the back?"

"Front door had the dead bolt on it." Nathan explained leaning in and kissing her cheek. "What's for dinner?"

Brooke nodded towards the stove. "I'm making it right now." Nathan furrowed his eye brow. "It's Mac & Cheese. I know, its not exactly the most fancy meal, but this is as far as my culinary skills go. So, you're going to eat it and enjoy it."

Nathan nodded with a laugh. "Works for me."

"Which reminds me…" Brooke turned back to the stove and emptied a package of cheese into the pot. Adding milk and butter, she stirred the concoction until the butter had melted and the power cheese was liquid. Grabbing a hand towel, she used it to pick up the pot and walked back over to Nathan. Leaning over the counter she smiled at her husband. She held a spoon full of the orange colored food and smiled.

"Too much Mac." Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Not enough cheese."

Brooke rolled her eyes with a laugh and dumped the spare package of powder cheese into the pot. "How was the library?"

"Want me to grab us some cokes?" Nathan said dodging the question.

Brooke took the pot and stirred. "Grab me a beer."

Nathan turned back to him and raised a shoulder. "Whatever you want, Boozy."

"You're hilarious." Brooke said finishing stirring the Mac & Cheese. Grabbing two bowls out of the cabinet and two spoons, he put some of the food into the bowls and waiting for Nathan to return.

Nathan entered the room and set Nathan's beer on the counter. "There you go, Princess."

Brooke smiled. "Thanks Prince Charming."

"That's what I'm here for." Nathan laughed.

"So Chris and Peyton are splitsville." Brooke sighed. "Peyton caught him giving that groupie April, a little more then the backstage tour."

"Again?" Brooke nodded. Nathan sighed for his friend's displeasement. ""Man, see the asshole needs a serious beating. Anything we can do?"

"Well, tomorrow I'm going to her and Chris house to pack up her crap. She's staying in the guest house. Is that fine with you?" Brooke didn't wait for an answer; she simply took another swig of beer before finishing. "Great. She'll be here tomorrow." Brooke belched and giggled. "That was attractive."

"Nice." Nathan laughed. "So I need to talk to you about something."

Brooke took a big bite before responding with a mouth full of Mac & Cheese.

"Really?" Brooke licked her lips. This had been the moment she was waiting for. Nathan was finally going to tell her what in the hell he had been doing at the library for the past week. "What's up?" She swallowed the last bit of her food.

Nathan sighed. "I need to go to Panama City Beach, Florida."

Brooke bit her lip and waited for him to finish. "Why?" Brooke asked when Nathan didn't offer up any explanation as to why he would need to travel hundreds of miles away.

Nathan sighed before answering. "About a week and a half ago, I was cleaning out Dan's basement and found something." Brooke nodded curiously. "It was a pink baby blanket, Brooke. With the name Alexis Nash, and along with it was a wad of pictures of my dad, some mystery chick and a baby."

Brooke raised an eyebrow. "And…?"

"And, that's the reason I've been at the library the past week. Trying to find out more about her. I looked up Alexis Nash in the Tree Hill Residence Book, but only found another person." Nathan pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and checked the name. "Kelly Nash." He read. "So I've been looking up information on her instead, but all I've managed to find is an old address, which I checked out by the way, it's now a parking lot for Dan Scott Motors. Which is extremely weird, and then I couldn't find a forwarding address."

Brooke thought about what her husband had just shared with her before answering. "And what does all that have to do with you going to Florida?"

"The only real information I've found on Alexis, besides the photos and blanket, was that night when I got back to the house. I looked her name up on the search registry, and it gave me her address." Nathan waited for Brooke to respond.

"And you think what? That this girl is your sister?" Brooke asked confused as to why her husband cared so much. "Look Nathan, Dan Scott is an asshole and I admit he has a pretty shitty record of being a father, but I seriously doubt that he would just have a kid and never mention it."

"What about Lucas?" Nathan countered. "He basically blocked him out of his and my life until I was in junior high and _had_ to deal with him."

"Yeah, but…I don't know…this seems a little too cruel for even Dan." Brooke sighed. "And besides, your dad has always wanted a daughter." Nathan gave her a confused look. "At least that's what he told me when we got married." She laughed.

"He just wants to get in your pants." Nathan laughed.

"Take that back, right now!" Brooke laughed.

"You're just upset because you know its true."

"So when were you planning on going?" Brooke rolled her eyes changing the subject.

"Tomorrow." Nathan answered.

"Tomorrow?" Brooke cried. "I haven't even started packing!"

"That's the thing…I was going to go just alone." Nathan could see Brooke about to protest and cut her off. "It'll only be for a few days…a week at the most, and I promise I'll call everyday."

"Nathan Scott!" Brooke's eyes widened. "You can't seriously think you are leaving me here, alone, for a whole week!" Brooke complained.

"You're a tough girl. You'll be just fine." Nathan laughed.

"What if someone breaks in? What if they kill me?"

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Have Peyton come stay with you. Or Haley, now that you two are best buds again, it will be great."

"Nathan…" Brooke sighed worriedly.

"It's fine." Nathan brushed it off. "Look, if you're that scared I'll just call Lucas and he can stay here while I'm gone. Keep an eye on things."

Brookes eyes widened. "No, I'll be fine."

"You were just-" Nathan started.

Brooke cut him off. "Nope. I changed my mind. I'll be fine. And if I need someone I'll call Haley. I know you don't like her, but I do."

"I guess that's fine." Nathan sighed. "But I'm still going to call Luke and have him come check up on you girls, alright."

Brooke sighed. "Fine."

"Well then that's settled. I'm going to go pack."

"Okay." Brooke said putting their empty bowls in the sink and grabbed the house phone. Dialing in Haley's number she waited for her to pick up.

Haley answered on the second ring. "Hello."

"Hey Haley! Guess what?" Brooke laughed. "I'll tell you what. Pack a bag. You are coming to stay in the Scott manner for the next week."

Haley laughed. "I am?"

"Yep. Nathan's going to Florida for a week, don't ask, its complicated." Brooke explained. "And pigs will fly before I stay in this house alone for a week, so you, my friend, are coming to stay."

"Alright." Haley laughed. "And Nathan is ok with this?"

"Yep." Brooke replied. "He's leaving tomorrow so come over around noonish, ok?"

"Works for me. Is Peyton coming too?"

"She and Chris are having some drama, so probably."

"Fine by me." Haley sighed. "And Rachel?"

"I seriously doubt that one. I haven't heard much from her or Jake."

"Martial problems?"

"Except with out the rings." Brooke laughed in agreement.

"I have some…stuff to do here."

"They're not married?"

"Nope. Just living together."

"Go Jake." Haley laughed. "Fine by me."

"This is going to be awesome!" Brooke giggled. "Hos over Bros reunion sleep over!"

"Sounds…interesting!" Haley smiled.

"Good! It's going to be!" Brooke laughed. "I'll see you then."

"See you then."

Brooke hung up the phone and smiled. _This is going to be so great!_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Sixteen – Cant You Just Kiss And Make Up?**

_Pardon me for saying so but you look more pitiful _

_Than I had ever imagined. _

_Despite perfect fashion _

_And your photographs depict you so differently. _

_I always thought you would be, _

_Some sort of match for me…_

Lucas dragged his feet as he walked out of Starbucks. He didn't really know why he had bought the drink in his hand, he just did. He had the extra cash, was walking by Starbucks and decided to make a detour from his path into the coffee shop. Ten minutes after wandering around the Starbucks aimlessly, he finally ordered a ice blended drink, that he knew he would only sip on then throw away. As Lucas made his way past clothing stores, restaurants, and a movie rental store he sipped on his caffeinated beverage. Not paying much attention to the people walking past him, he looked up just in time to see Haley drive by in her silver BMW Beemer.

_So lets decide who can survive. _

_Stomping feet and racing beats of hearts that don't ever slow. _

_Then I'll write letters on white paper expressing my deep disappointment…_

He hadn't spoken to her since that night on the beach. He had made attempts to. He had lost count of how many messages he had left on her answering machine, but she never responded. Lucas sighed and threw his drink out into the road. It slashed up at his the back of Haley's car.

Haley immediately hit the breaks, looked back, then pulled over to the side of the road. "What in the hell is your-" Haley started, but soon realized who it was. "Oh, Lucas…hi…"

"Hey." Lucas frowned. There was a moment of awkward silence between the two friends. Lucas didn't know what to say, but decided he better same something before she walked away. "Sorry. I didn't think-" Lucas said breaking the tension.

Haley held up a hand to cut him off. "It's fine." She turned around and grabbed a few napkins out of the dispenser on a near by table. With out another word, she walked back to her car and began whipping it off. "Just fine." She muttered under her breath as she cleaned the Starbucks off the back of her car. Lucas grabbed more napkins from the dispenser and walked over to Haley and her coffee covered car.

"Here." Lucas said handing Haley a few more napkins, getting on his knees and helping her clean up his mess.

_Dripping where I stand (dripping where I stand) _

_From my watery hands _

_Hoping to get passed the open bedroom door. _

_Where her clothes on the floor. _

_Reminds me of our conversations. _

_The feeling of slight hesitation to turn off the lights… _

"You don't have to." She told him simply. "I was planning on taking it to the car wash, anyways." She sighed as she finished cleaning off her bumper. Taking the dirty napkins out of Lucas' hand and wadding them up with her napkins she tossed them in a near by trash can.

"Look…" Lucas started but lost his words. He quickly scrambled through his thoughts to find the right words to say to her before she climbed back into her car and drove away. Haley dismissed whatever she knew he was about to say and opened her car door. Lucas watched as she sat down and shut the door. "Haley. Wait." Lucas said walking up to the passenger door and bending down. Resting his arms of the open window he sighed. "We need to talk."

"No. We don't." Haley sighed. She ran her hand through her long blonde hair and put the keys in the ignition. Putting the gear into drive she turned and faced Lucas. "We _really_ don't." Pulling out of the parking space she drove off before Lucas could fit in another word.

"Damnit!" Lucas cried in frustration. _What the hell did I ever do to her that was so bad? Ok, so maybe I kissed her unexpectedly which resulted in the drama of my life. _Lucas sighs_. Maybe I'm insane. That's it. I'm insane. I kissed Haley James, tutor girl or Tutor Wife as my ex lover so frankly used to put it. I kissed my brothers ex wife. I kissed my best friend. I suck. Wow. I really suck. Damnit! _Lucas turned around and walked back into the Starbucks. He need a mocha-chocolate-caramel-swirl-blended frap chino. As disgusting as it sounded, he knew it would take his thoughts off Haley and on to something more disgusting with less purpose in life.

_14 days now since we started to complicate the situation. _

_I'm not hiding, I'm just buying _

_Some time for us to find the back door. _

_We will come out when it's safe for us. _

_When it's safe for us, when it's safe for us... for us, for us, for us... _

After receiving a rude look from the waitress at Starbucks Lucas was surprised by the sound of a car honking behind him. Lucas spun around slowly not really wanting to talk to anyone. And since there was a good chance that that was Haley, whom he really didn't want to speak with again until a later date, Lucas took his time spinning around.

"Yo Luke!" Nathan called out the diver side window.

Lucas was surprised to see his younger brother pulling to a stop at the side of the road. Lucas gave him a faint smile. "Hey Nate."

Nathan pulled over and climbed out of his Ford F350 and shut the door behind him. Leaning against the door he waited for his brother to walk up to him.

Slowly Lucas walked over to Nathan's truck and leaned against the bed. Taking notice to the two suit cases in the back, he turned towards his brother. "Going somewhere?"

"Florida." Nathan answered with out an explanation.

"Alright." Lucas nodded. "Any reason why you are taking this spur of the moment trip out of state across country?"

Nathan shook his head. "Vacation." He lied.

"And where is my new sis?" Lucas asked looking into the truck noticing Brooke wasn't with him.

"She's not going." Nathan laughed. "She's stay home."

"Alone?" Lucas asked a bit surprised.

"I don't know. I don't think so." Nathan said thinking about it. "I think Peyton, or maybe Haley, are going to be staying with her. Peyton I know for sure. You'll never guess why?" Lucas raised an eyebrow. "She caught Chris with that groupie whore again."

"Again?"

"Again." Nathan nodded.

"Man, that guys gets a lot of action for being that ugly." Lucas laughed.

_There's nothing left to say. _

_To excuse the way that I've behaved. _

_I still feel him gripping like a stain _

_To this fabric torn in every seam. _

_Thrown away... _

"Tell me about." Nathan laughed. "So what's new in you're life big bro?"

"Haley hates me."

"Again?"

"Again." Lucas sighed. "I messed up, big time."

"What did you do, run over her cat again? Or wait what about that time you-"

"How about not." Lucas sighed with a laugh. "I actually just saw her. I thought she would be over her drama by now, but apparently not."

"Awe, cant you just kiss and make up?"

"I seriously doubt making out will solve this problem."

"I'm sorry man." Nathan checked his watch. "I better get going." Nathan opened the car door. "Traffic is going to be a bitch." Nathan climbed back into his truck and shut the door. "Oh wait. Do me a favor."

"Yeah?"

"Can you stop by the house and check on Brooke every once in awhile. I don't want to come home with her dead on the couch, or dead in a bathtub of her own blood." Nathan rolled his eyes.

Lucas laughed. "No problem. Call me when you get to Florida."

"Shall do." Nathan waved and drove away.

_I will not regret! I will not forget! I will not regret! I will not forget! _

_Why should I take all the blame for my mistakes? _

_You were there with every promise made to break. _

_When did you become the one without regret? _

_Kill me burn me down I swear I won't forget. _

_When did you become the one without regret? _

_Kill me burn me down i swear i won't forget…_


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Seventeen – I'll Drag You Kicking and Screaming**

Rachel had finally given up on trying reasoning with Jake. She simply just sat there and listened to him bitch about whatever he felt needed bitching. And every couple of minutes Rachel would stand up and pace back and forth across the living room, pretending to be listening, but really just checking to make sure Jenny was still in her room and not snooping. Rachel pushed herself up from the couch and interrupted Jakes hour long ramblings about how his life sucked, why his life sucked, and how he had no idea how to make his life un suck.

"Jake. Stop." Rachel sighed. "I'm tired." She begged. "Cant we just pick this up later?" Jake sighed and sat on the couch. He patted his hand on the cushion next to him and sighed. Rachel sat down next to him. "What wrong with us?" She asked. Even though the question seemed to be directed to Jake, she was also asking herself.

Jake sighed and shook his head. "I don't know." Jake put his hand on hers. "But we need to fix it.

Rachel nodded. "What are we going to do?"

Jake thought about an answer for a while and a minute later a smile appeared on his lips. "Go to Hawaii."

"What?" Rachel laughed at her truly absurd answer. "Seriously Jake."

"I am serious." Jake smiled. "Let's just go. Nothing is stopping us."

"Nothing?" Rachel laughed. "Are you feeling alright."

"I'm fine."

"I seriously doubt that." Rachel laughed standing up. "How can you say nothing is stopping us? You really think we can just pack up our shit and go to Hawaii?" Jake nodded. "No Jacob, we cant. We both have work."

"We can get time off."

"We have stuff to do around the house. I thought you wanted to redecorate."

"It can wait."

"We don't have the money to do both, Jake."

"I can take out a loan."

"And how exactly are you going to pay for that?"

"I'll get another job."

"I hardly see you as it is, Jake." Rachel complained.

"You'll be fine." Jake laughed. "Come on. Please. Go to Hawaii with me."

Rachel sighed and smiled. "Alright."

"Alright?" Jake stood up. "Alright!" He grabbed her into a tight hug and kissed her. "We're going to Hawaii!"

"We're going to Hawaii." Rachel hugged him back. "Wait. What about Jenny?"

"Good question." Jake sighed. "We can leave her with Peyton and Chris. Jenny loves Peyton, and seemed to like Chris enough at the wedding."

"They broke up." Jake raised an eyebrow so Rachel explained further. "She caught him cheating on her again."

"With April?" Rachel nodded. "How about Nathan?"

"Nathan is out of town."

"And Brooke?"

"She's at home. Hold on I'll call her." Rachel disappeared into the other room and returned five minutes later. "I ran it by her…"

"And?"

"And she said it was fine. Haley and Peyton are staying there also so it would work out just fine!"

"Great." Jake laughed. "I'll go tell Jenny, and start packing."

"When are you planning on taking me to this tropical island?"

"I was thinking this weekend."

"Works for me." Rachel laughed. "I'll go pack."

Rachel watched Jake disappear down the hall to Jenny's room and sighed, before going into their bedroom. She opened the closet doors and pulled out everything she and Jake owned. As she sorted through the clothes that they were taking and the ones that they weren't she couldn't help but think that this trip might be a bad idea. Not that she wasn't excited to be getting to spend this time with Jake, but she also feared that if this trip didn't meet all of Jakes hopes, her relation ship would be over. Which she really didn't want to happen. She liked being with Jake. She liked Jake. She loved Jake. And she loved Jenny more then life itself. But staying in this relationship was a dead end for her. Jake didn't seem to be ready to take the next step, and Rachel was. So maybe Jake wouldn't be the one calling off the relationship, Rachel would. Because with out a pair of wedding bands in this happy house hold, Rachel didn't think she could manage being here any longer. Trying to think optimistic she sighed. _I'm going to have a good time in Hawaii. _She told herself. _I'm going to have a good time in Hawaii. I'm going to have a good time in Hawaii. I'm going to have a good time in Hawaii. _She thought maybe, just maybe, if she said it enough it would happen.

Rachel walked across the room and turned on to the stereo. An old Stevie Nicks song, Edge of Seventeen, blasted out of the speakers. Rachel wasn't in the mood for the song and shut off the stereo, turning her attention to the TV. She turned it on and turned on Cartoon Network. It was guilty pleasure, that Rachel loved watching reruns of Johnny Bravo and Ed, Edd, and Eddie.

"I don't want to go!" Jenny complained

In a smaller room down the hall from Rachel, Jake tried to persuade Jenny into being excited for her trip to Uncle Nathan and Auntie Brooke's house. But Jenny seemed to be immune to his mind control. As much as she loved Nathan, she could hardly stand Brooke. After all, Brooke was the reason that Nathan and her couldn't be together. In her seven year old mind, she and Nathan were undeniably in love, and Brooke had stolen Nathan from her.

"Come on, sweetie. It will be fun. Peyton will be there too." Jake pleaded.

"No!" Jenny started to wine flopping onto the ground kicking and screaming.

"Jenny!" Usually Jenny's tantrums amused Jake. Sometimes he even found them humorous. But at the moment, he wasn't in the mood. He wanted to go on this trip with Rachel and without his daughter. "Please stop. Daddy has a head ache!" Jake begged. "Stop it."

"I'm not listening. I'm not listening." Jenny said plugging her ears with her fingers.

"I swear to god Jennifer, I will drag you there kicking and screaming. I don't care what you want. You're going!" Jake yelled.

"NO!" Jenny said continuing to kick and scream.

"Fine!" Jake said flopping himself down onto the floor. Mimicking his daughter, he kicked, screamed and pounded his fists on the ground.

It took Jenny a good minute to realize what was going on. Suddenly very self conscious she stopped and stood up. "What are you doing?"

Jake continued to throw his fo-tantrum. "I want you to go!"

"Okay." Jenny got onto her knees and patted her fathers shoulder. "No need to cry. I'll go."

Jake laughed and kissed his daughters cheek. _It worked! Thank god!_ He smiled. "Good girl! Now get out you're Barbie suitcase and bring it to Rachel, okay?"

"Okay." Jenny nodded with a frown. "You tricked me."

"Yes, I did." Jake laughed.

Jenny ran across the room and grabbed her Barbie suitcase, like she had been told, and ran out of the room. Careful not to trip over her feet she ran to Rachel.

"Rachel!" Jenny said putting her suitcase onto the bed next to Rachel. "Daddy said to give this to you."

Rachel turned off the TV. "You're going with us?"

"No." Jenny shook her head sadly. "Daddy wont let me." She pulled herself up onto the bed frowned. "I have to stay with Aunt Brooke."

"I thought you liked Aunt Brooke."

"No." Jenny sighed over dramatically.

"Why not, sweetie?" Rachel laughed.

"Because…" Jenny frowned. "Because she stole Nathan from me."

"What do you mean?" Rachel couldn't help but laugh. "How did she steal him?"

"Because we were in love, but she stole him, and married him."

"Is that right?" Jenny nodded. "Well, you know, me and your Aunt Brooke have been friends so a long time now. She's a nice person, so, why don't you give her a chance, ok?" Rachel patted Jenny's shoulder. "Even if she did steal Nathan."

"Fine." Jenny shrugged nonchalantly. "Besides, I like that Chris guy better."

Rachel snorted, but quickly bit her lip when she saw the look Jenny shot her way. "Well there you go then."

Jenny smiled. "I'm going to go get my milk." She declared and ran out of the room.

Rachel couldn't believe it. Sweet, virginal, seven year old Jenny, had the hots for not only for a married Nathan Scott, but also an asshole rock star named Chris Keller. _How did she swing that? The two were complete opposites. Nathan was nice and Chris was…Chris. Weird._


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Eighteen – Got Ink?**

Pulling on an oversized sweat shirt over her tank top and a pair of Nathan's boxers, Brooke tossed the half empty bag of marshmallows to Haley.

"Thanks." Haley laughed catching the bag. Pulling a hand full of the marshmallows, she shoved three into her mouth. "This is the life." She laughed swallowing the mashed marshmallows. "This sleep over was a good idea, Brooke."

"Seriously." Brooke laughed. Taking a good look around her house she couldn't help but laugh at the mess they had made. Empty chip bags, dirty dishes piled a mile high in the sink, and Haley. Wrapped tightly in a blue blanket from the spare bedroom, Haley didn't seem to notice Brooke's attention on her. She was too busy being caught up in A Walk To Remember, the chick flick they had put on a half an hour earlier shoveling marshmallows into her mouth like there was no tomorrow. It amazed Brooke how Haley could stay so thin, considering how much junk food she ate. It didn't even have to do with how unhealthy the food she ate was, it was the proportioning. She just ate, ate and ate. Brooke wished she had that metabolism. If she ate like that, her hips would swell to an ungodly size, and she would end up looking like that guy Jared, before the Subway intervention. "I would have died from boredom if you and Peyton hadn't come to stay with me." _Speaking of the skinny blonde_. Brooke thought. "Tutor Girl?"

"Tigger?" Haley laughed.

"Where in the hell is Peyton?"

"Bathroom?" Haley shrugged. "That's where she said she was going anyways."

"When?" Brooke said scrambling her mind trying to think why she didn't remember Peyton's exit.

"It was when Landon blew off Jamie in school, remember. You were saying you would have slapped him, and she said that you could do what you wanted, that she was going to go to the bathroom."

"Right." Brooke said still not really remembering. Deciding to take Haley's word, she pushed herself off of the couch. "Be right back." Haley only nodded. Brooke walked down the hall and could see the light shining under the bathroom door. Brooke knocked on the door. "P. Sawyer?"

"The one and only." Peyton called from behind the door.

"What the hell are you doing in there?" Brooke asked confused

"Take a wild guess." Peyton told her sarcastically.

"Did you fall in?" Brooke could hear Peyton laugh on the other side of the door. "You're missing the movie."

"Oh darn." Peyton rolled her eyes.

"Get your ass out her Blondie." Brooke demanded.

Peyton opened the door and smiled. "I'm bored."

"And locking yourself in my bathroom is helping solving that problem?"

"Actually…" Peyton said passing Brooke walking out of the bathroom.

"P. Sawyer." Brooke laughed.

"Fine. No. But I can't stand Mary Gore." Peyton sighed.

"Mandy Moore." Brooke corrected her.

"Exactly. You see my point?" Peyton laughed.

"I guess…" Brooke sighed. "Fine. What do you want to do?"

"Go out."

"Go out where." Brooke laughed. "It's ten thirty at night, almost everything is closed, and we're all in our pajamas."

"Just out." Peyton answered.

Haley stared out the backseat window watching other cars fly by in the opposite direction and buildings pass by. The girls had gotten dressed and hand been driving around in Brookes Lexis for the last forty five minutes. "Everything is closed." She sighed.

"Body Accents is still open."

"Isn't that a piercing place?" Brooke asked.

"And tattoos." Peyton added. Brooke raised an eyebrow. "Come on B. Davis, ever since we were Jenny's age you have told me you wanted a tattoo."

"I already have one." Brooke answered. "That was checked off my to-do list a long time ago. You know that. You were with me when I got it."

"I know." Peyton sighed. "But after you got it you said you wanted to get another one someday."

"I also used to want a pony, Peyton." Brooke rolled her eyes.

"You still do." Peyton laughed. "Come on. It'll be fun."

"Ok, fine. Say I'll go do this. What is Haley going to do while we're gone?" Brooke asked.

"Haley?" Peyton sad looking at Haley thought the rear view mirror. "How do you feel about tattoos?"

"I'm alright with them, why?"

"I was just thinking." Peyton smiled.

"That can't be good." Haley joked.

"Let's go get tattoos." Peyton said pulling into Body Accents parking lot.

"You're crazy." Brooke rolled her eyes as the three girls climbed out of the car.

"You're a chicken shit." Peyton shot back.

"Am not." Brooke laughed crossing her arms across her chest as the three girls quickly walked into Body Accents.

"Who's paying for this?" Haley laughed. "Because I'm broke."

"I will." Peyton laughed.

"Thanks." Haley smiled. "So what are you guys going to get?"

"Not sure." Peyton sighed. "I want to get something that I'll want for the rest of my life."

"Good idea." Haley laughed. "No names, okay. Hell no numbers either, alright?"

"About that…" Brooke asked hesitantly. "Do you still have…"

"Yep." She turned around and showed them the number twenty three that was still tattooed on her lower back, which she didn't have the heart to remove. "I never had the time to remove it." She lied. Quickly sensing the awkward tension she laughed. "And guess what?" She laughed unbuttoning and unzipping her jeans she moved the fabric away and revealed another tattoo in small cursive writing the read _La Bella Vita._

"That's awesome!" Brooke laughed. "What does it mean?"

"A beautiful life." Haley answered with a smile.

"When did you get it?" Peyton asked taking a closer look at the tattoo next to Brooke.

"Last year in Europe." Haley answered nonchalantly.

"You went Europe?" Brooke exclaimed. "I didn't expect you to get any more after…you know." She turned back and faced Peyton. "What about you, Sawyer? Got any ink I don't know about?"

Peyton grinned. Holding up the back of her shirt and pulling down she showed the two girls a tattoo of Chinese symbols. Brooke and Haley's eyes widened. "It mean, 'trust no man, fear no bitch' and I got it last year." Peyton laughed.

"Nice." Haley laughed.

"It's about Chris and April." Brooke informed Haley.

"No." Peyton shook her head. "Well, at least not all about them. It's about cheaters in general." Peyton said shooting a look at Brooke that Haley caught, but didn't say anything.

Haley turned to Brooke. "What about you?"

"What about me?" Brooke asked.

"Do you have any other tattoos besides the one you got in high school?"

Brooke shook her head with a smile. "Nope."

"Liar." Peyton accused with a laugh.

Brooke rolled her eyes. Putting her long brunette locks behind her left year, she pulled forward her ear. Revealing a small pair of cherries. Both girls shot Brooke a look. "Grad night." She laughed. "I was drunk."

"And so the whore in Brooke Davis lives on." Peyton laughed.

"Shut up." Brooke playfully smacked her friends shoulder. "I have an idea." She laughed. "We should all get the same one."

"Of what?" Haley laughed.

Holding open a book of pictures of tattoos Brooke showed Haley and Peyton one of a heart with a crown over is and two hands around the heart.

"I like it." Haley said with a nod and a smile.

"Me too." Peyton said. "So that's settled. Where should we get them?"

"Umm…" Haley said with a smile. Lifting up her hair, she pointed to the back of her neck. "How about there?"

"Love it." Brooke laughed.

"So are we going to do this damn thing or what?" Peyton asked.

"I'm in." Haley said.

"I guess me too." Brooke sighed.

"Excellent!" Peyton laughed and handed the money to the man be hind the counter. Showing him where they wanted their tattoos and of what the three girls followed the man into the back room and got their tattoos.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Nineteen– Girl Talk**

Peyton woke early the next morning. Her neck throbbing from where her new tattoo, she groggily sat up from the bed of pillows and blankets she and the other two girls had set up. She couldn't help but laugh at the two girls positioning. Haley was lying with her back to the floor and her feet propped up on a near by couch. Brooke must have woken from her spot next to Peyton in the night, because she wasn't there. Looking around the room she spotted Brooke on the recliner chair. She had pulled out the foot rest and was lying upside down. Peyton tilted her head to the side a little wondering how her friends had concluded into these particular positions.

Shakily getting on to her hands and knees she crawled across the room to Haley. The brunette looked peaceful in her sleep. Too peaceful. Peyton leaned down and licked her forehead.

Haley's eyes immediately opened. "What the-"

"Shhhh." Peyton laughed covering Haley's mouth and nodding over at Brooke.

Haley wiped the spit off of her forehead and checked her wrist watch. 8:45 am. Haley sighed and rolled over into a more comfortable position. "I hate you."

"No you don't." Peyton laughed.

"I want to."

"But you don't. You can't hate me. You love me too much."

"I hope you die."

"Now that's a more reasonable goal Ms. James." Peyton laughed.

"I thought so." Haley said sitting upright in the recliner chair and patted the empty space next to her. "Come up here."

"Why?" Peyton complained. "You come down here."

"No." Haley protested.

"Why not?" Peyton groaned

"It's cold down there."

Peyton laughed. "Good point." Climbing up into the chair next to Haley she helped Haley spread the blanket over the two.

Resting her head on Peyton's shoulder Haley sighed. "So how's life Sawyer?"

"Pretty shitty." Peyton confessed with a laugh. "I don't really want to talk about it though, ok?"

Haley nodded with a laugh. "Ok."

"So spill." Peyton laughed.

"Spill what?" Haley asked looking up at her.

"Spill whatever has been on your mind since you got here yesterday." Peyton put her arm around Haley's arm. "Is it a certain broody blonde we both know?"

Haley rolled her eyes. "How do you know?"

"I just assumed that since the door he was using closed he would look for another one."

"I don't know Peyton." Haley sighed. "First Lucas kisses me and now he's throwing caffeinated drinks at my car. What's next? Tag team wrestling?"

"Lucas?" Peyton raised an eyebrow. "Who said anything about _that_ ass? I thought Chris had called you."

"No – Well he did – and gross – wait what makes you think? You know what? Never mind. Something's are better left unsaid." Haley laughed. "Wait – what do you mean '_that ass_'? Are you and Luke fighting?"

"No…" Peyton rolled her eyes moving her uncomfortably. "We're just not on speaking terms. It'll be fine. We're fine. Back to you – so this kiss? How horrible was it?"

Haley laughed. "Actually, it was kind of nice."

"Honey, you are talking to an experienced woman." Peyton laughed. "Kissing Lucas Scott is nothing short of miraculous."

Haley blushed. Trying the change the subject she took notice to Brooke, who was still passed out on the ground. "I wonder if that is comfortable?" Haley asked.

"You're one to talk." Peyton laughed. Grabbing a near by throw pillow off of the ground the threw it as hard as she could at Brooke.

Brooke suddenly sat up. Haley and Peyton jumped from shock and burst out laughing. Haley and clutched onto Peyton's arm. "She's alive!" She giggled.

"Which one of you?" Brooke asked.

Both Haley and Peyton pointed at each other. "I did not. You lie." Peyton laughed.

"Don't try to pin this one on me Peyton."

Brooke immediately knew that it was Peyton who had done the damage. "I hope you die." Brooke told Peyton turning her back towards the girls and putting her pillow over her head.

"See. She goes right to the point." Peyton laughed. "B. Davis wake up." Peyton let herself fall to the ground on the mounts of pillows and blankets. Close behind Haley did the same as the two girls crawled over to where Brooke was lying. Peyton leaned over and stuck out her tongue.

Brooke didn't flinch. "You do it and see what happens."

Peyton backed off.

"Why doesn't she get licked?" Haley complained.

"Because last year Nathan made her take Tae Kwon Doe. She can kick my ass."

"Right on." Haley laughed.

Brooke threw a fist in the air. All three girls laughed. Finally giving up on sleeping Brooke sat up and faced her friends. "I like waking up better with Nathan."

"I know the feeling." Haley muttered under her breath.

"Sorry Tutor Girl." Brooke frowned.

"It's not your fault." Haley shrugged the pain she felt off. It had been a long time since the two girls had spoken on good terms, and eve longer since she and Nathan were together. She didn't want a still broken heart to get in the way of her friendship with Brooke. Haley still could see a regretful worrying look on Brooke's face. Smiling with a sigh to break the tension she laughed. "Really, it's fine. I've moved on." Giving an over dramatic laugh to Peyton the girls laughed.

Brooke simply raised an eyebrow to Haley's comment. "You mean to Lucas?"

Haley's eyes widened. "You know?"

Brooke pretended not to care what Lucas did with his own time, but she did and the fact that he was going after Haley so soon after their relationship had ended left a sour taste in her mouth. Brooke rolled her eyes. "I saw you two, that night, on the beach."

Haley half smiled and hung her head. "Well if you're worried about me and Lucas dating. Don't be."

"Why?" Peyton asked concerned for her friend and her love life. "Is it something that we said?" Peyton glared over at Brooke. "I mean what I said?"

Haley shook her head with a sigh. "No I messed it up. I don't really want to talk about it." Then she laughed with an annoyed sigh. "Then the little shit stain threw coffee on my car." Brooke and Peyton raised an eye brow with confused glances. Haley laughed. "I don't know either. All I do know is that right now, Lucas Scott is the last person I want to see."

"I second the motion!" Peyton exclaimed.

"I triple it." Brooke laughed.

"What did Mr. 'I can't make up my mind because I'm an idiot' do now?" Haley asked the new Mrs. Nathan Scott.

Brooke and Peyton shared a glance before Brooke responded. "It's not important. "Let's just say, that the last person I want to see right now is also Mr. 'I can't make up my mind because I'm an idiot'." Brooke laughed.

The house rang. Brooke starred at it blankly. "Any volunteers?"

"Haley will get it." Peyton claimed.

Haley's mouth opened. "Why do I have to get it?"

"Because me and Brooke voted." Peyton laughed. "And you lost."

"And you're closer." Brooke chimed in.

Haley rolled her eyes and picked up the phone. "Scott residence, servant Haley James speaking." There was a pause before Haley spoke again. "Oh hey…Yeah, it's me Haley. We missed you at the wedding. No, I know, I understand. Ok, one sec." Haley put her hand over the mouth piece. "It's Karen." Haley tossed Brooke the phone.

"Hey! I'm good, how are you? Oh yeah, Nathans fine. Yeah, he'll be back in about a week…you can reach him on his cell phone if you need to talk to him. I agree, Dan is a heartless prick." Brooke giggled. "Oh, no I haven't talked to Lucas recently." Brooke pretended to gag. "Sure, next time I see him I'll tell him. Yes, Karen, I'll tell him everything." Brooke laughed. "Even the part about getting his scrawny ass home once in a while. Alright, you take care. I love you too…bye." Brooke hung up the phone. "How is it fair that I am responsible for both of the Scott men?"

"Well you did sleep with both of them at one point." Haley laughed. "God, who knew you'd turn out to be such a whore."

"Thanks!" Brooke laughed throwing a pillow at Haley. "Besides, its not like I'm the only one who has in this room!"

"I haven't slept with Lucas." Haley through her hands up in guard.

"No, you're right. That was a certain blonde's doings." Brooke laughed.

Peyton pushed her friend playfully. "Well my saying was always let the good times roll."

Brooke laughed. "And you thought that I was bad!" There was a knock on the front door and Brooke stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have company."

"I bet you five bucks its Nathan here to claim his love for both of you and beg for a threesome." Peyton laughed.

"Yeah right, it's Chris here to beg for you're forgiveness then to take you to April's house to watch you guys wrestle in a mud pit in bikinis!" Haley challenged with a laugh.

"You're on!" Peyton laughed.

"I'll tell you what. I don't care who it is, as long as it's not that pain in the ass blonde basketball wannabe Lucas-" Brooke opened the door. All three girls' jaws dropped.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty – The Answer To One Question Only Leaves More Questions To Answer**

Finally reaching Panama City, Nathan was exhausted. He had been driving non stop for the past two days and was ready to go into his hotel room, take a long shower, and sleep. Checking his wrist watch he checked the time. 11:30 am. He had checked the hours of City Hall while on the road and it didn't close till four o'clock that afternoon which left him enough time to take a shower and fit in a good 3 hours of sleep.

Nathan checked in at the front counter of the hotel and as he waited for the elevator to reach the tenth floor he checked the address in his pocket.

Nicole A. Nash

Apartment # 12B

2929 Candido Drive

Panama City Beach, Florida

32407

Making a mental note to get directions from the front desk to the address and City Hall before leaving Nathan entered his room. Dropping his luggage onto the ground with a sigh of relief, he didn't bother unpacking before heading straight into the bathroom and turning on the shower. Pulling off his shirt he walked out of the bathroom and grabbed the cell phone charger out of his duffle bag and cell phone out of his pocket and plugged it in. Slipping off his tennis shoes and pants he quickly undressed and headed back to the shower. As he was about to step in a knock on his door interrupted. Sighing heavily Nathan grabbed one of the white cotton towels off the shelf next to the toilet and tied it around his waist. Not bothering to check the peep whole Nathan flung open the door.

A tall, thin blonde, who was about Nathan's age, maybe a few years younger smiled in her maid outfit. With one hand on the cart of cleaning supplies and towels she fidgeted with her oversized pale blue wrinkled skirt. She took notice to a half naked Nathan and blushed. "Do you need any towels?"

Nathan laughed. "No. I think I'm all set."

"I can see that." She laughed turning to leave. "Alrighty then."

As Nathan was about to shut the door when he remembered he needed directions. "Hey." He called after her. The blonde turned around and walked back. "Could you give me some directions?" Nathan held out the piece of paper. The blonde smiled and took the paper from him and raised an eyebrow. "Do you know where that is?"

"Yeah." The girl nodded. "That apartment complex burned down though." She said handing the paper back to Nathan. "Do you know the girl who used to live there? Nicole?"

"Oh yeah, we go way back." Nathan lied nonchalantly. "Do you?"

"Yeah, actually." The girl nodded.

"That's great!" Nathan said turning around grabbing the complimentary pen and paper on the desk inside his room. "Can I have it?"

"She doesn't live there anymore." The blonde laughed. She noticed Nathans frown and half smiled. "But I do know the address where she works."

Nathans face lit up. He handed the paper and pen to the girl and waited. She finished writing the address and handed him back the paper and pen. Nathan looked down at the piece of paper. "Coyote Ugly?"

The blonde laughed. "It's a bar. She works there."

Nathan nodded. "Thanks." He was about to shut the door but was interrupted by the sound of the girls voice again.

"Look, I know this is totally random, but you are really hot."  
The girl laughed and rolled her eyes. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

"Not really." Nathan answered honestly.

"Well I was wondering-" She started.

"I'm married." Nathan cut her off showing her the band on his finger. "Sorry."

"No harm, no foul." The girl laughed and smiled. "I'll see you around."

"My names Nathan."

"Lexii." She laughed. "I'll see you around, _Nathan_."

After a hot shower Nathan practically was asleep the moment he hit the sheets. Laying there, dreaming of North Carolina and basketball he could practically see Brooke's face. God did he love her. It was amazing that they ended up together and even more amazing that Lucas was able to accept the whole thing and how he and Brooke were still great friends. Drifting off into a deep sleep he almost prayed nothing would stir him, but the sound of his cell phone ringing two hours later interrupted any chance of complete serenity. Nathan groggily sat up and grabbed his cell phone off the charger and checked the ID. It was Brooke.

"Hey babe." Nathan said trying to cover up the fact that she had rudely awoken him from rest that he truly needed.

"Awe babe, you were asleep! I'm sorry." Brooke laughed.

"Don't be." Nathan said scratching his head. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to see if you were there yet." Brooke giggled at something Peyton or Haley said.

"Yeah, I'm here." As Nathan fell back into bed he checked the time on his phone. 3:16 pm. "Actually, I have to go. I'll call you later. Promise. Love You. Bye." Nathan hung up and quickly changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a black, short sleeved, button up t-shirt. Checking himself in the mirror and nodding in approval we grabbed his wallet and the hotel key and walked out.

About a half an hour later Nathan had finally made his way out of traffic. Pulling the address out of his pocket he checked it one last time.

Coyote Ugly Saloon

110512 Front Beach Road,

Panama City Beach, Florida

32407

Looking to his right he saw the bar. Pulling off the road and parking his car he didn't waste any time getting out of the car and making his way to the front door of the bar. Inside he took notice to the emptiness of the space around him. The only other people there was three girls behind the bar counter and the two security guards in the back corner taking large bites out of their sandwiches. Nathan walked in the bar and before he could catch the door it slammed behind him. The two security guards noticed his entrance but went back to their sandwiches. The three girls behind the bar also noticed Nathan's arrival but went back to what they were doing.

Nathan smiled and walked over and rested on his elbows. A brunette girl from behind walked over to him.

"Do you mind?" She asked gesturing at his elbows on the bar. "I just cleaned that."

"Oh." Nathan said standing straight up. "Sorry."

"No problem." The girl laughed. "The bar is closed for another three hours. You know that right?"

Nathan laughed with a nod. "Yeah. Actually I was hoping you could help me find someone." Nathan handed the girl a piece of paper with Nicole's name on it. The girl read over the paper and raised an eyebrow. "One sec." She said holding up one finger. Spinning around towards the back of the bar where there was a small kitchen she looked around. "Lexii?"

"I'm about to start mopping, what do you need, Ash?" Lexii called from back in the kitchen.

"There's someone here to see you!" Ashton turned back to Nathan. "She'll be right out."

From behind a door way Lexii popped her head out. Taking notice to Nathan she smiled. "You stalking me?" She asked with a laugh walking over to Nathan.

"There must be a mistake." Nathan sighed. "I'm looking for Nicole Nash, remember."

Ashton laughed and raised an eyebrow at Lexii. "Are you stupid or something?"

Lexii's eyes widened and with a laugh she playfully smack Ashton's arm. "Shut it." She turned her attention back to Nathan. "You found her."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Where is she?"

Ashton laughed. Lexii rolled her eyes. "I'm her." She smiled. "I'm Nicole Nash."

"What?" Nathan asked genuinely confused. "I thought your name was Lexii."

"My middle name is Alexis." Lexii smiled. "I go by Lexii."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty One – A Life Full Of Surprises**

All three girls mouth's dropped when Brooke flung opened the front door. A tall blonde that the three girls hadn't seen since graduation, stood there proudly. Much taller then they remembered him, he had filled out nicely. Brooke hardly recognized him. Her mouth still hung open, as she searched for something, anything, to say to this blast from the past. Luckily, silence didn't last long between the two, the visitor broke the silence.

"Hey Brooke." Mouth smiled.

Brooke gasped. "Mouth?" Brooke screamed and hugged him. "Oh my God!"

Mouth laughed hugging her back. "Long time no see."

"Oh my God! Let me look at you!" Brooke pulled back from the hug and looked Mouth up and down. "God you got hot!"

"Thanks?" Mouth laughed slightly raising an eyebrow.

Peyton and Haley stood up and walked over to where Brooke was still clutching on to Mouth tightly. Practically prying Brooke off of him, Peyton smiled.

"Hey Mouth." Peyton laughed giving him a hug. "Where have you been!"

"Stalking Haley's every move, and let me tell you, this girl is pretty freaky." Mouth laughed.

"Ha-ha. Very Funny. Come here." Haley pulled Mouth into a tight hug.

"Its been a long time." Mouth laughed.

"Too long." Brooke pouted. "Okay. Sit." She said pushing the two girls away from the doorway, she grabbed Mouths hand and pulled him into the living room. As she watched him sit, she flopped down next to him tucking her legs underneath her she grinned. "Now. Tell me _everything_!"

The three girls laughed as Mouth blushed. Opening his mouth to say something, he seemed to be searching for the right words. Somehow telling them about the vigorous hours he had spent in the gym "bulking up" to come back and prove himself worth to the girls of Tree Hill, didn't sound like the right answer. A lot had happened since high school. He wasn't the same person anymore. He had grown into his big ears and goofy smile, had had many girlfriends since the horrible Erica Marsh dumped him, and Rachel Gatina turned his insides inside out. Mouth took a deep breath and smiled at the three girls anxiously waiting for him to give them something to make them feel apart of his live. He liked this feeling. A feeling of being wanted. Something he had desperately searched for in high school, but sadly never found.

"There's not really much to tell." Mouth smiled. "Stalking Haley James is pretty much a twenty-four/seven job."

"You're such a loser." Haley through the small hot pink throw pillow at him and laughed.

"I try." Mouth laughed. Fidgeting with his hands, he shrugged. "Not much has happened, other then the physical stuff, you know-"

Watching Mouth fidget with his hands he eyes widened when she saw a gold band on his left hand. "Oh my god. You're married?"

"Yeah…kind of a long story." Mouth said not really wanting to talk about the whole marriage and annulment to the Pamela Anderson wannabe he had met pumping iron at Gold's Gym.

Luckily he was interrupted by the sound of a pound on the front door followed by Lucas Scotts voice on the other end. "Brooke! Open the door! I know you're in there!"

Mouth raised an eyebrow at Peyton, but she shook her head and pointed towards Brooke. When Mouth had left Tree Hill, to San Diego, Peyton and Lucas were pretty hot and heavy. Even though he had read about the on-and-off again relationship between her and Chris Keller, he wasn't sure if the two had kept in contact over the past years.

"Brooke! Please, I need to talk to you!" Lucas continued.

Peyton looked over at Brooke and raised an eyebrow, as if asking her whether or not she planned on opening the door. Peyton frankly didn't want to see Lucas, but she dreaded worse the idea of listening to him pound on the door calling for Brooke. Brooke raised an eyebrow back at Peyton, which let her know that she just planned on ignoring him until he went away. Sighing Haley pushed herself off of the ground, where she had only recently planted herself down next to Haley, and walked over to the front door. Swinging it open, she was almost smacked in the forehead by Lucas pounding fist. As soon as he saw her, he pulled back quickly and straightened up.

"I didn't know you were hear." He told Haley, staring into her eyes, almost as if he could see through them.

For some reason she had to the urge to kiss him and smack him all at once. Coolly she raised and eyebrow, letting her hip pop to the side as she rested her hand on it. "What do you want Lucas?"

"I…" Lucas opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it. Looking past Haley, he saw Peyton and Brooke, and some guy on the couch next to Brooke. "I…just…"

"You just what?" Brooke asked him from across the room, getting more annoyed as each moment passed.

Lucas kept glaring at the guy on the couch. He seemed strangely familiar to Lucas. Practically ignoring he raised an eyebrow and nodded towards the guy on the couch asking Haley who it was.

Haley sighed and rolled her eyes. "What? You don't recognize him?" Haley spun around leaving the front door wide opened and walked back to Mouth and the girls. As Mouth stood up from the couch, and walked over to Lucas, Haley took his place on the couch next to Brooke.

"Hey Luke." Mouth smiled shaking Lucas's hand. There was obviously the same angst in the air still in Tree Hill, just where he had left it in high school. Except now everyone was older, and with better hair. "Mouth." He laughed, noticing Lucas was still confused as to whom he was shaking hands with.

"Hey man." Lucas said eyes widening, he looked over at Haley, who was now sitting on the couch with Brooke. He raised an eyebrow at her, to make sure that this was really Mouth. She nodded and then turned to Peyton, and said something he couldn't hear. "Good to see you." Lucas smiled warmly at his old friend.

"Right back at you." Mouth smiled, looking back at the girls. He could tell all of the girls wished Lucas wasn't there, but he didn't want to get in the middle of it. They were all his friends, and he wasn't going to jeopardize any friendship. At least not so soon after getting back into town.

"You can leave now." Brooke shot a glare a Lucas.

Lucas didn't seem to take the hint. And if he had caught on to what she was implying, he was flat out ignoring her. Keeping his attention on Mouth, and not the three girls behind him, that he had major drama with, he grinned. "How's life been treating you? Are you still dating Chastity?"

"Not really." Mouth rolled his eyes. Lucas and him, had kept in touch over the past few years. Nothing like back in high school, but occasionally, they would call each other up. Talking about Chastity made Mouths stomach hurt, he had never hated someone so much in his life. That's why he was back in Tree Hill. To try and get away from Hurricane Chastity. "She's crazy. I needed to get away."

"Well you're just in luck. There's plenty of crazy around here." Lucas said directed towards the girls. All three gave him a angry stare. Lucas laughed it off. "Haley. Want to go for a walk with me?"

"No." Peyton answered for her.

"I believe I said Haley." Lucas shot back.

"I believe I don't care." Peyton glared at him.

Rolling his eyes with a laugh Lucas walked over to Haley and helped her up off of the couch. "Don't worry ladies, I'll bring her back in one piece." Haley jerked her hand away from Lucas's, which surprised him. "What?"

"I thought you were here to see Brooke." She raised an eyebrow.

"To find you." Lucas smirked. Leaning in, he grabbed her hand in his again and whispered into her ear just loud enough for only her to hear. "I'll make it worth your while."

Haley grinned. As much as she wanted to hate him right now, she couldn't. Turning back to everyone else she shrugged. "I'll be back." She told them. Holding up a finger, telling Lucas to wait, she grabbed jeans and a t-shirt off of the floor and ran back to the bathroom to change.

Brooke and Peyton gave Lucas an angry glare, but Lucas simply laughed it off. "Don't look so sad, she said she would be back." Lucas saw Haley emerge from the hallway and he smiled at her. Grabbing her hand in his, he gave Mouth a small wave. "Give me a call." He told him with a smile, as him and Haley walked out the front door, he shut it behind him.

Brooke kept her eyes on the door. She couldn't believe Haley had just up at left with him. As the three continued their conversation of pointless nothings that had been happening in their lives and the traumatic love experience Peyton called Chris Keller, Brooke couldn't keep her mind off what was happening between Lucas and Haley. She had no right to be jealous, she was married to Nathan. But for reasons beyond her knowledge the fact that they were together made her angry. She wondered if it was because she still wanted to be with Lucas, even after everything that had happened. Shaking that thought out of her head, she tried to place herself back in the conversation, but her thoughts kept drifting away back to Lucas.


End file.
